


Sketchpads and Guitars

by medievalstranger



Category: Reign (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-23
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-02-14 09:38:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 33,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2186826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/medievalstranger/pseuds/medievalstranger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mary Stuart is a shy and timid college freshman who has the passion for art while Francis Valois is the campus heartthrob and the vocalist of his band. A Reign/ Frary Fanfic, modern setting (ongoing)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Reign or any of its characters.

Chapter 1  
Sweat is dripping from her head, she never thought moving would be this difficult and tiring. She has just unpacked the last box when she heard her roommate enter the room.  
“Mary, you’ve been in this room all day, you should go out, have some fun!” Kenna said with a cheerful tone  
Kenna, her roommate is also a first year student; she’s majoring in English and arrived in the dorm a day earlier than Mary.  
“Yes mum” Mary said jokingly  
“and I would only arrange some things and decorate a bit then I’m done” Mary added  
“Yes! Does this mean that you’ll come with me?” Kenna asked  
“come to where?”  
“there will be a party near the campus tonight, it’s a great opportunity to meet new friends!” Kenna said, the excitement reflecting in her voice  
“nahh, I’ll pass” Mary said  
“Why, are you busy or something?” Kenna said clearly disappointed  
“I’m just not into it” Mary said while transferring her books to the shelf next to her bed  
“someone’s an introvert” Kenna said, trying to convince Mary  
“I am not! I’m just… I don’t know, I’m not really good at socializing with other people” Mary said   
“You’ll be fine, you’re going with me and that’s final” Kenna said as she walks to Mary and puts away the books on Mary’s bed  
“You can continue arranging your things tomorrow” Kenna said  
Mary shot Kenna a disapproving yet challenging look  
“Don’t look at me like that, I promise, you won’t regret it” Kenna added  
* 4 hours later*   
“it’s too crowded here!” Mary said almost shouting  
“Well duh Mary, it’s a party, of course lots of people will be here” Kenna said  
Mary is wearing black high waisted shorts and a creamy white crop top, which makes her uncomfortable, she thinks it’s too short yet she wore it anyway   
“Do I look fine to you?” Mary said  
Kenna rolled her eyes  
“Are you seriously asking me that question? With legs like that, boys would be drooling as soon as they saw you” Kenna said  
“I’m serious Kenna” Mary said  
“I am too, now stop looking so nervous and go talk to someone” Kenna said  
“Yes…MUM” Mary said as she smiles at her friend, it’s really comforting knowing that Kenna’s here, she’s been in the campus for three days and so far she only has… one friend ha! What an achievement, she said to herself  
After few minutes of walking past through the crowd, she finally found a chair to sit on, there will only two vacant chairs in sight and she feels so lucky for finding the last two ones just in time  
So much for finding someone to talk to and there’s no way she’s going back to that crowd, she feel so squished and her feet hurt from walking so much. Kenna is nowhere to be found and she feels so awkward sitting here all alone  
“hey” she heard a deep voice but she didn’t bother to know where it came from, she’s practically invisible right now, who would even talk to her  
“hey, are you alone?” A guy with curly blond hair asked her, his British accent noticeable  
“who, me?” Mary said clearly shocked that someone actually acknowledged her existence  
“No, I was actually talking to the chair” the guy said  
“oh” Mary said embarrassed  
“yes you, silly” the guy said with a smile  
“uhm no, I’m not alone, I came here with a friend” Mary said composing herself  
“where is she now?” the guy said, his eyes were so blue , Mary could hardly form a coherent response  
“how do you know it’s a ‘she’?” Mary said  
“well a boy shouldn’t leave a girl like you alone, that’s what I know” the guy said  
“I’m Francis by the way, Francis Valois… and you’re?”  
“Mary” Mary said, not wanting to prolong the conversation, she doesn’t want to embarrass herself any further to this gorgeous blond beside her  
“Just Mary?” Francis said  
“Yeah, just Mary” Mary said, quickly looking away as if uninterested, she and Francis just sit there with an awkward silence  
“Francis!” a blond girl shouted near the bottom of the stage  
Mary was quite annoyed, she finally found someone to talk to then some girl just ruined it, well not exactly, she ruined it to be honest, this handsome guy came to talk to her and she suddenly go into to full dumb bitch mode Mary said to herself  
“wait a sec!” Francis said to the girl  
“hey look, I really hate leaving you here alone, but I really I have to go, it was nice meeting you, just Mary” he said and smiled one last time before he walks away  
A few seconds later, Kenna came into view  
“did you just sit there alone for the past hour?” Kenna said with disbelief  
“maybe… maybe not” Mary said  
“did you even talked to someone?” Kenna said  
“well, technically yes… he talked to me first” Mary said  
“where is he now?” Kenna said clearly interested  
“uhm… he left, obviously. But enough about me, where have you been?” Mary asked  
“I met someone, his name is Sebastian, Bash for short, and he’s majoring in Civil Engineering” Kenna said gleefully  
“well, at least one of us got lucky” Mary said throwing a smile to her friend  
“they’re setting up the stage, I guess the band will perform soon” Kenna said as looks to the stage  
“what band” Mary asked  
“the band with the gorgeous vocalist, they say he plays the guitar too but only on rare occasions” Kenna said  
“well I hope he sings well” Mary said  
“of course he does, that’s why girls are drooling over him all over campus” Kenna said  
“have you even met the guy?” Mary asked  
“no, but I would LOVE to” Kenna said as she elbows Mary  
“oh admit it, I know you do too” Kenna added  
Mary just smiled to her friend, not really knowing what to respond  
“There he is!” Kenna said with excitement  
“that’s the guy” Mary said completely shocked  
“I told you he’s gorgeous” Kenna said  
“he’s the one who talked to me earlier” Mary said still wide-eyed  
“he did what?!” Kenna said almost screaming  
“did you get his number, or did he get yours?!” Kenna added  
“uhm no, maybe I was a little bit… cold to him” Mary said embarrassingly  
“you did not just said that” Kenna stared to her friend, shock written all over her face  
“I was nervous!” Mary said as though defending herself  
“Good evening everyone” Francis said on the microphone, girls’ loud screams followed, Mary and Kenna can barely hear the other things he said, when the cheering toned down a little bit, Francis spoke again

“My first song is dedicated to ‘Just Mary’”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
“My first song is dedicated to ‘Just Mary’” Bash mimics his little brother as they entered the dorm room

“Shut up Bash” Francis said quite annoyed

“Who is this ‘just Mary’?” Bash inquired while grinning widely

“She’s a girl I met at the party” Francis said

“You’ve never dedicated a song for anyone before, not even Olivia” Bash said still teasing his brother

“well, I’ve never met anyone like her, that’s why… she’s different from all the other girls” Francis said as he sits on his bed

“What makes her different?” Bash asked

“I think she saw me as me and not as ‘the guy who can sing’, it’s seems that people already put a label on me before they even   
met me…as if that label alone defines my whole being” Francis said

“so… you like her because she didn’t know you were famous?” Bash said clearly mocking

“no, idiot” Francis said

“no… meaning you don’t like her or no meaning I didn’t get your point clearly?” Bash said still teasing his little brother, it’s the first time that Bash sees his brother like this. Oftentimes, Francis won’t even give a second glance to the girls that follow him in and outside the campus. After Olivia cheated on Francis, Bash thought that his little brother already gave up on love.

“figure it out” Francis said already wanting Bash to drop the subject

“you want to know what I think?... I think we naturally strive for the ones that we can’t get, that no matter how many girls out there are willing to give their hearts to you, you will still want to go for the girl who doesn’t like you back” Bash said

“what makes you think that I can’t get Mary and she doesn’t like me back?” Francis asked

“I don’t know, I just assumed” Bash said while laughing

“you’re always the pessimist, brother. I’m remaining positive, so keep your negative thoughts to yourself” Francis said as he strides towards the bathroom

“whatever you say, little brother, whatever you say” Bash said as he shakes his head while smirking  
~~*~~

3 days later

Mary is feeling so nervous for the first day of class, she actually doesn’t know what to expect yet and she’s not sure if she’s nervous about the professors or about meeting other students. The last time someone talked to her, she immediately grew cold and anti-social, her main concern is that people might think she’s snob because of her timidity and if that happens, her hopes in gaining more friends would be gone. She’s on her way to her building when she heard someone calling her name.

“Mary!”

“Mary, wait!” A boy with a British accent called her from afar 

She stopped walking and glanced to the direction where the voice came, then she saw HIM, Francis… jogging towards her

“I knew it was you” Francis said while catching his breath

“uhm, hi” Mary said shyly, she hates it when she acts like this, she’s really trying her best to remain ‘normal’ when Francis is around but the loud beating of her heart is not making it possible

“the last time I saw you at the party, you were sitting all by yourself, I looked for you later that night but you were nowhere to be found” Francis said

“uhm yeah, my friend and I left early” Mary said 

“oh, uhm… were you still there when we performed?” Francis said hoping that Mary heard his dedication to her

“yeah, uhm you sang pretty well, and oh… thanks for the dedication” Mary said with a smile

Francis can feel himself blushing, Mary thanked and complimented him about his singing, he’s used to the compliments from other people but Mary’s definitely made his heart jump for joy, and he’s pretty sure his heart skipped a beat when Mary smiled at him for the first time. 

“thanks and you deserved it… the dedication I mean” Francis said while grinning widely

“uhm may I walk you to class?” Francis added, not wanting to end their conversation 

“oh you don’t need to” Mary said throwing back the smile

“you’ll be late for class if you do that” Mary quickly added after she saw the disappointment in Francis’ eyes

“my class won’t start until 9am, I still have plenty of time” Francis said, the thrill coming back to his eyes

“so, may I walk you?” Francis asked, he’s not always so persistent but when it comes to Mary, he’s different

“we’re already walking Francis” Mary said with a giggle

“I’ll take that as a yes” Francis said beaming

They walked for a few minutes more and Mary has to admit that she purposely walked slowly to be with Francis longer, when they finally arrived at the classroom, she faced Francis and thanked him, she was about to enter the room when Francis lightly touched her arm

“uhm Mary wait” Francis said

“I uh… recorded some songs to this CD, can you uh… listen to it and tell me what you think?” Francis said as he breaks eye contact and lowers his head a little. Mary can sense that he’s a bit shy, which made her smile

“of course, I would love to listen to it” Mary said while beaming

“really? Thanks a lot, I will wait for your response” Francis said

“so I guess I’ll go now” Francis added

“bye, thanks again for walking me to class” Mary said

“we should do this on a regular basis” Francis said with a wide grin

“do what on a regular basis?” an old man behind Francis said in a deep tone

“If you want to flirt with each other, do it someplace else” The old man added before he entered the classroom. 

Mary and Francis just looked at each other and smiled

“well you should probably go inside now, I’m pretty sure that’s your professor” Francis said

“yeah, bye” Mary said 

“oh and Mary?” Francis said

“yup?” Mary said as she glanced back

“good luck!” Francis said with a cheerful smile

“Thanks” Mary said as she smiled to Francis before entering the room


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
“Mary”   
“Mary”  
“Mary!” Kenna said in a very loud voice  
“Uhm… what?” Mary said as she looks to Kenna and removes her earphones, she was listening to the CD that Francis gave her and she can’t help but to get lost in the moment  
“What are you doiinnnggg?” Kenna said, her tone teasing  
“nothing” Mary said as she quickly closed her laptop  
“oooooh nothing huh” Kenna said still teasing  
“what?” Mary said while smiling  
“you’ve been grinning like crazy for an hour now, and don’t tell me that it’s ‘nothing’ because I know that look” Kenna said as she walks slowly to Mary’s bed  
“what look?” Mary said trying to hide her grin, she’s not sure if she’s going to tell Kenna about Francis walking her to class, she doesn’t want to get her hopes up and she doesn’t really want to put meaning to Francis’ actions. It’s better to not expect anything, that way, she won’t be disappointed.  
“you know you suck at playing dumb, right?” Kenna said with a mischievous grin  
“fine, fine” Mary said as she looks to Kenna  
Kenna made herself comfortable on Mary’s bed , she grabbed a pillow, put it on her lap and scoots closer to Mary  
“What are you waiting for? Spill” Kenna said demandingly  
“There’s not much to talk about, really” Mary said, the smile not leaving her face  
“ha! I’m not dropping this topic anytime soon, I want every single juicy detail. NOW.” Kenna said   
“uhm, he just walked me to class and gave me his CD” Mary said, trying hard not to look jittery  
“I knew it! He is sooo into you, and I bet you like him to. A lot” Kenna said while elbowing Mary  
“wha— “ Mary quickly said but was interrupted  
“Don’t even try to deny it, you were listening to the CD he gave you, weren’t you?? And don’t even tell me that you’re watching a movie because your eyes weren’t glued on the screen, you were looking from here and there then you smiled out of nowhere” Kenna said with a loud voice, looking very enthusiastic  
“well I was curious to know what kind of genre he sings so –“ Mary said  
“oh please, you like the boy. ADMIT IT” Kenna said beaming widely  
“it doesn’t matter if I like him, tons of girls already like him, I’m just a mere addition to the list” Mary said  
“of course it matters, you’re unlike all the other girls because He. Likes. You. Back.” Kenna pointed out  
“I don’t really know that, he might have done the same gestures to tons of other girls” Mary said doubtfully  
“he doesn’t seem like the playboy type to me” Kenna said to Mary  
“let’s just hope you’re right” Mary said in an almost inaudible voice

**~~O~~**  
“you seem bothered” Bash said to his brother  
“I should have just get her number” Francis said looking gloomy  
“whose number?” Bash replied  
“Mary’s… I slipped my number to the CD I gave her but I guess she didn’t notice it” Francis with disappointment in his voice  
“or maybe she did and she just don’t want to contact you ha.ha.ha” Bash said mockingly  
“what a way to cheer up your little brother” Francis stated  
“how about you, have you met any girls in school? It’s your junior year now and so far you only had… 0 girlfriends ha.ha.ha.” Francis added  
“well I’m not the one who was too coward to get the number of the girl I like…” Bash replied  
“oh shut up Bash, I just don’t want to rush it”  
“but seriously, aren’t you gonna ask anyone out?” Francis added  
“well I met a girl at the party, her name is Kenna” Bash said  
“and?” Francis asked  
“she’s beautiful, witty, have a good sense of humor” Bash said with a smile  
“and did you get her number?” Francis said  
“uhm… no” Bash said  
“and that’s why we’re brothers” Francis said as with a wide grin  
“but… we have a class together so I might have already asked her out for a drink” Bash said pleased  
“whoa nice job there brother, and I always thought you wouldn’t get any dates this year…I would never have guessed” Francis laughs  
“haha and meanwhile my poor little brother is still waiting for a text that would never come” Bash said while smirking  
“well I already know where her first class is so maybe I’ll just meet her there” Francis said comforting himself  
**~~O~~**

“what book are you looking for?”   
“or should I say who are you looking for?” Kenna said teasingly  
“haha funny Kenna, I came here to study, but I told you that you can go ahead already, I might stay here for a while” Mary said  
“in the library? This place is no fun” Kenna said  
“fun can wait, in the meantime, I need to study” Mary said as she scans the books in the shelves  
“ugh bummer, I was going to ask you to come with me to this pub” Kenna said looking disappointed  
“what are you studying for anyway? Classes have just started” Kenna added trying to convince Mary  
“we’re students, we should be studying and why do you suddenly want to go to this pub?” Mary inquired  
“well… Bash asked me out, and I was kinda hoping that you’d go with me” Kenna said  
“and why would I want to go with you, isn’t that a date or something? It should only be the two of you” Mary said while still looking for the book she needs, Kenna stands beside her looking utterly bored  
“because you’re not having fun, yesterday you were inside our room all day long, if I were you, I would have gone cray” Kenna said  
“haha good thing you’re not me then” Mary smiled  
“Olivia!” a girl near them said, she was walking towards the blonde girl sitting on one of the chair near the shelf, she seems to be reading something and was quite annoyed when she heard her name and was interrupted   
“hi Nicole” Olivia said with a small smile  
“I haven’t seen you for ages” the girl named Nicole said  
“how are you?” Nicole added  
“I’m doing great” Olivia replied as she turned her attention to the book she’s reading, Mary can tell from afar that Olivia doesn’t want to be bothered right now, but Nicole isn’t getting the hint  
“aww you don’t have to lie Olivia” Nicole said with an almost genuine concern  
“I was there at the party, and I heard Francis dedicate his first song to this ‘just Mary’ girl, you must be hurting, I know you love him still” Nicole added  
Marry and Kenna was quite startled after hearing this, they didn’t really mean to eavesdrop but the loud voice of Nicole is just so distracting  
“yes I love him still and I’m pretty sure he still loves me back, I am his first love after all and he just did that dedication to make me jealous” Olivia said  
“are you sure? I think he was sincere with that dedication” Nicole said trying to convince Olivia  
“ I am sure, he was just using that ‘just Mary’ girl to get me back” Olivia replied slightly annoyed  
And by that Mary rushed out of the library  
“Mary”  
“Mary wait” Kenna said trying to catch up to her friend, she never thought Mary could walk that fast  
“I’m pretty sure there’s no truth on what they’re saying” Kenna consoled her  
“she’s just a bitter ex-girlfriend” Kenna added while still walking fast  
“I don’t even know why I’m reacting this way, I mean… Francis and I are just friends and… ughhhh I hate my feelings” Mary said looking frustrated  
“so you finally admit that you like him” Kenna said  
“it doesn’t really matter now, does it?” Marry said as she finally slows down, allowing Kenna to catch her breath  
“why don’t you ask him that?” Kenna said while holding up a small piece of paper that contains a series of numbers  
“what’s this?” Mary said  
“Francis’ number” Kenna said while smiling  
“how did you get this?” Mary said quite shocked  
“it was just lying around the room, I think he inserted it in the CD he gave you” Kenna said teasingly  
“really?” Mary replied  
“what are you waiting for? Call him” Kenna said as she grinned widely to her friend, looking utterly excited.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
She’s been calling Francis for the last 20 minutes but it just goes to his voice message.  
“he’s not answering it… ughhhh I told you this was a bad idea” Mary said to Kenna  
“uhm no, you didn’t… when I handed you Francis’ number you got too excited and dialed his number as quick as you can” Kenna said to Mary teasingly  
“I did not! But that’s not the point, even if he does pick up, what am I going to say to him?” Mary asked  
“well… I don’t know… uhm tell him that you love his songs on the CD that he gave you?” Kenna said trying to come up with a good advice  
“that sounds pretty lame though” Mary said as he stares at her cell phone screen  
“he said that he wanted to know your thoughts about his recordings, right? It isn’t lame” Kenna said  
“well ..” Mary mumbled  
“oh for God’s sakes Mary, just call him” Kenna said impatiently  
“fine, fine! But if I screw up this conversation, I’m gonna blame you” Mary said jokingly

(Meanwhile in Bash and Francis’ room)  
“young man, your phone has been ringing for hours nowww” Bash as he watched Francis emerge from the bathroom, his hair still wet and a clean white towel was wrapped around his waist  
“well sorry old man, I was in the shower” Francis said while laughing  
“ I know, I just saw you came out of the bathroom, and the floor’s now wet because you’re walking all over the room… seriously, put some clothes on and answer your phone, it’s getting annoying“ Bash said as typed something on his laptop  
“jeez Bash, as you can see, I’m still looking for my phone” Francis said as he looks for his phone under one of the pillows, it already stopped ringing making it harder for Francis to find its location.  
“found it!” Francis said seconds later  
“where did you hide it this time?” Bash said  
“haha I didn’t hide it, I just completely forgot where I put it” Francis replied  
“the caller was from an unregistered number” Francis added a few seconds later  
“well aren’t you gonna call him/ her back, maybe it’s important… or maybe it’s Maaaaryyy?” Bash said adding noticeable emphasis on ‘Mary’ as if trying to imply something  
“you think so?” Francis said with hope in his voice  
“yeah, but if you’re going to call her back please put some clothes on first” Bash said looking a bit annoyed  
“you already said that” Francis said  
“it’s worth repeating, now go put some clothes on, you’re still dripping and wet and just so you know, I set the AC to ‘beyond freezing’ Bash said exaggeratingly  
“jeez Bash, why do you always do that, it’s always freezing in our room, it’s like living in the north pole” Francis said complaining  
“cos I’m cool like that” Bash stated while smirking  
“there’s a joke in there somewhere… but I can’t seem to find it” Francis said teasingly, Bash just shot him an annoyed look. Francis quickly grabbed his clothes and went to his side of the room.  
(Meanwhile in Kenna and Mary’s room)  
“maybe it’s a sign that I shouldn’t be calling him” Mary said disappointed  
“oh please don’t give me that crap…try again, he was probably busy a while ago” Kenna said comforting Mary  
Mary dialed his number once more, and after several seconds of waiting, he finally answered  
“hello?” he said on the other side of the line  
“uhm hi… it’s Mary” Mary shyly said, she’s obviously not good on phone conversations  
There was a long pause so she spoke again  
“uhm you gave me your CD, and I-uhh just called to say that it was really good… the CD I mean… uhm, are you still there?” Mary said fearing that Francis already hung up on her after realizing that she’s boring to talk to  
“ohh yes” Francis said with delight in his voice  
“I mean… yes I’m still here and yes! I’m really glad that you liked it” Francis quickly added, he has never been so nervous during a phone call before, but he’s definitely nervous now  
“uhm so… do you have classes tomorrow?” Francis asked  
“yes, how about you?” Mary said as she rewards herself with a face palm for her greatest reply ever “oh God I’m the most boring person in the whole galaxy” she said to herself  
“I don’t have classes tomorrow and I—uhm… I was just wondering if I can walk you to class… again?” Francis shyly asked  
“you don’t have to” Mary said as she tries to sound calm when in truth she’s already internally screaming  
“that’s the same thing you said to me last time” Francis said teasingly  
“yeah… yet you insisted anyway” Mary said with a wide grin on her face, thank God, Francis couldn’t see her freaking out right now  
“so… see you tomorrow?” Francis asked  
“see you” Mary said with a cheerful tone before she hung up and slowly walked to her bed… seconds later, her phone vibrated  
“Good night xx  
-Francis”  
And by that she lie down on her bed and tries to control her emotions  
“careful darling, you might die from happiness right here and now” Kenna as she smiles at Mary  
“you’re welcome” Kenna added, trying to get Mary’s attention  
“uhm sorry what?” Mary said while still grinning from ear to ear  
“you should thank me for forcing you to call Francis” Kenna informed Mary  
“oh! Thank you thank you my dear friend!” Mary said as she walks to Kenna’s bed to give her a bear hug  
“jeez Mary, you don’t need to squeeze me you know” Kenna said  
“you love me anyway” Mary said as she walks back to her bed joyfully.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
“you ready to go to the pub?” Kenna said for the nth time that day, Mary finally agreed to come with her as her gratitude for Kenna when she “forced” her to call Francis, it was just a trivial thing but Mary felt that she should do something for Kenna in return.  
“I should be the one asking you that question…you’re going on a date with what’s his name again… Bash?” Mary asked  
“well, I’m not nervous or anything” Kenna shrugged  
“of course you’re not” Mary said with a tone that seems to imply something  
“oh stop it Mary, he just asked me out and that’s it plus you’re going with me so this doesn’t really count as a date” Kenna defended  
“whatever darling” Mary rolls her eyes and laughs  
(later that evening)  
Kenna pushed the door of the pub and immediately looked for Bash  
“do you see him? I don’t really know what he looks like so you’re on your own” Mary mumbled behind Kenna  
The pub is quite huge and its design is a mixture of vintage and contemporary style and the stage have been set up for a band that will perform that night  
“there you are!” Bash said as he smiles to both Kenna and Mary  
“I almost thought that you weren’t coming” Bash added  
“I wouldn’t miss the chance to see this place, and oh by the way…Bash, meet Mary” Kenna makes way for the two  
“hi, it’s a pleasure to meet you” Bash said as he extends his right hand to Mary and showed a big smile  
“it’s a pleasure to meet you too” Mary said returning the gesture  
“jeez you two are too formal” Kenna interrupted, Bash and Mary just laughed  
“so let’s get a table” Bash said as he leads the way to a semi-circular couch with a round table  
After an hour of chatting with each other, the members of the band that will perform, finally went to the stage  
“did I mention that my brother is performing tonight?” Bash informed Kenna and Mary  
“really? Which one?” Kenna asked looking excited  
“Francis, he’s the vocalist” Bash said sounding quite proud  
“oooh Francis” Kenna said with a teasing look to Mary  
“oh, do you guys know each other?” Bash said to Mary  
“uhm we’re not really that close but we talk sometimes” Mary answer  
“and he walks Mary to class” Kenna added  
“ohh you’re the Mary” Bash said upon his realization  
“what do you mean ‘the’?” Mary said with a smile on her face  
“oh, nothing… it’s just.. I think he mentioned you once or twice” Bash asked  
“really? What did he say?” Mary said  
“that he gave you his CD and all that” Bash said while teasing Mary  
“sooo, do you think your brother likes my friend here?” Kenna asked Bash  
“Kenna!” Mary scolded Kenna  
“What? I’m just asking” Kenna said mokingly  
“well I think that question is not mine to answer” Bash said as he leans back to the couch  
“but you could ask my brother now since he’s coming this way” Bash added  
Mary searched the pub and saw Francis, he was walking towards their direction and his eyes was somehow pinned to Bash, if Francis glances to her direction, she wouldn’t know how to react  
Francis was suddenly stopped as he was swarmed by a couple of female college students that probably goes to their school, he greeted them warmly and gave them his sweetest smile. Mary felt a pang of jealousy, seeing those girls around Francis made her feel a bit uncomfortable  
Bash went to his brother to pull him out of the swarm of girls and somehow dragged him to their table  
“your Mary’s here” Bash whispered teasingly  
“where?” Francis quickly scanned the room and spotted Mary sitting on one of the couches with a brunette girl, she seemed pretty busy talking to the girl beside her  
“she came with Kenna, I didn’t know they were friends” Bash said  
“neither do I” Francis said still looking at Mary  
“what are you waiting for? Go to her” Bash said as she pushed Francis to Mary’s direction, Francis walked willingly  
“this night is going to be interesting” Bash said to himself as he follows Francis  
~~~*~~~  
“well Bash and I are actually half brothers, we have different mothers. And he grew up here, while I grew up in London” Francis said to Mary and Kenna, the group is having a nice chat and some light drinks  
“oh so when did you guys reunited?” Kenna asked  
“we’ve been together for two years now, I mean literally living together, we share the same room…unfortunately” Bash said mockingly and everyone laughed  
“it’s more unfortunate in my side, Bash never turns his light off when he’s sleeping” Francis said jokingly  
“at least I’m not walking around the room all day singing random lyrics, it’s really hard to study when Francis is around” Bash said to Kenna and Mary  
“at least my voice is not that bad” Francis said jokingly  
“haha very funny, speaking of your lovely voice, you need to perform now young man” Bash said pointing Francis to the stage  
“bye…go now, before you insult me further to the ladies” Bash added, Mary and Kenna are just giggling in the background, they are so amused by the brothers’ conversation, although they didn’t grew up together, they seem so close and comfortable with each other, well they are brothers after all  
“bummer, I was actually enjoying this chat… uhm see you later Mary… oh and if you want, you and Kenna stay with us tonight, your dorm is quite far from here, Bash and I are not going home to our dorm tonight but we have a flat near this pub” Francis offered  
“yeah, you should stay in our flat, it’s not safe for beautiful girls to wander around at night, and we’re not serial killers, I promise” Bash said  
“thanks but we really need to---“ Mary said  
“we’d love to! Thanks for offering” Kenna interrupted  
“Kenna” Mary said  
“come on, it would be fun!” Kenna said convincing Mary  
“ok, fine” Mary said as she smiled to Kenna, honestly, she wouldn’t really mind to spend the night in Francis’ place, the chats they had whenever he walks her to class are brief but very entertaining  
“great, I’ll come back to you guys later, in the meantime, duty calls” Francis said as he stands and walks toward the stage  
When the band started performing, Mary couldn’t stop looking at Francis, and though many girls are screaming his name, Francis too couldn’t stop looking at Mary.  
~~~*~~~  
“careful Kenna” Bash said as he jogs towards Kenna who’s walking unsteadily, they just got off the car and now walking toward the apartment. Kenna clearly had drank too much  
“I can take care of myself” Kenna mumbled, as she places her hand on her forehead  
“Let me at least get the door for you, I have the keys” Bash said as he tries to unlock the door to their flat. Mary and Francis are just behind them, and was seem to be lost in their own world  
“did you have a good time?” Francis asked Mary  
“yeah, it was really fun” Mary smiled  
“sorry I wasn’t there the whole time, I should have chatted more with you” Francis said  
“it’s okay, really… you were performing on stage, and it was quite entertaining actually” Mary replied  
“oh and thank you for agreeing to stay with us tonight” Francis said while smiling  
“I should be the one thanking you for letting us stay” Mary said returning Francis’ smile  
“are you two going to stay outside forever or what?” Bash said teasingly, Francis and Mary laughed  
“we better go inside, the old man’s getting impatient” Francis said as he leads Mary to their flat  
~~~*~~~~  
“you can go sleep in my bed, I’ll sleep here on the couch” Francis offered  
“you don’t have to do that, I’m fine here” Mary said as she sits on the couch  
“I insist, plus it’s not right for us to let a guest sleep on the couch, and Kenna’s already sleeping in Bash’s room so Bash will sleep in the living room too” Francis said as he sits beside Mary  
“can I ask you a question?” Mary asked, their bodies are only inches apart and she tries so hard to remain composed  
“you already did” Francis said teasingly, Mary giggled  
“well can I ask another one?” Mary said while smiling  
“ok what is it?” Francis said looking amused  
“what made you attracted to music?” Mary asked  
“I can freely express my feelings through music, I’m not really good at conversations… like now, I’m pretty sure I’m boring you already  
“you’re not, and I find you easy to talk to, and quite entertaining too” Mary said  
“haha I doubt that, would you mind waiting here? I’ll just get my guitar” Francis asked  
“no, it’s ok… go ahead” Mary said lightheartedly, Francis went to his room and seconds later, he emerged with a black guitar in his hand  
“what would you like me to sing?” Francis asked as he sit beside Mary  
“you can sing anything you like” Mary said, not really minding the Francis’ song choice, any song would sound perfect to a voice like his  
“ok here it goes” Francis said sounding a little nervous, it’s been a long time since he played the guitar and it’s definitely his first time playing it to a girl  
“What day is it? And in what month?  
This clock never seemed so alive  
I can't keep up and I can't back down  
I've been losing so much time”

Mary’s eyes are pinned on Francis, she honestly don’t know how she got so lucky, loads of girls have a crush on Francis and yet she’s the one sitting beside him right now. Francis looks back to her and his eyes twinkled, every word that comes from his mouth is piercing her soul, if it weren’t for the guitar, Francis would definitely hear her heart beating loudly right now.  
“'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to lose  
And it's you and me and all of the people  
And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you…”  
When Francis finished the song, he leaned closer to Mary, and pulled her to a kiss. It was tentative and testing at first, Francis didn’t know what got into him, Mary returned the kiss and they were both lost in the moment. Francis’ slowly puts down his guitar that serves as a barrier between them, he puts his hand on the back of Mary’s head to pull her closer, she puts her hand on his chest in return. After several seconds, Francis pulled back enabling them to catch their breath. He grinned while Mary giggled; he lifts up her chin and pulled her to another kiss.  
After the second kiss that they shared, they both smiled as they pressed their forehead to each other, their eyes closed.  
“I should get some sleep” Mary said moments later  
“yeah… you should” Francis said as he beamed to Mary, the afterglow of their kiss is still evident to each other’s faces  
“come, my room’s this way” Francis said as he stood and offered his hand to Mary  
Mary gladly took it as they made their way upstairs, their hands entwined.  
They both walk ever so slowly to prolong and cherish the moment that they are now sharing.  
“so… this is my room, and that room at the end of the hallway is Bash’s” Francis said as he opened the door  
“make yourself comfortable… oh and if you want to change clothes, you can just get a shirt from my drawer” Francis said to Mary, his hands still holding hers  
“sorry for stealing your bed” Mary said as she squeezes Francis’ hand  
“no worries, I’ll just make myself comfortable on the couch” Francis said as he smiles to Mary  
“so I guess… I’ll go now, tell me if you need anything” Francis said  
“okay… good night” Mary said  
“good night… see you in the morning” Francis said as he placed a soft kiss on Mary’s forehead. They shared one last glance to each other before Francis closed the door.  
Moments later, Mary found herself sitting on Francis’ bed, replaying the moments they shared on her head.  
“This can’t be real” Mary said to herself as she smiles from ear to ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thank you for your support for this story! I appreciate every single one of them :)
> 
> P.S. let me know if the choice of song sucks, you can also suggest songs for the upcoming chapters. Thank you! (the song is “You and Me” by Lifehouse).


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
Francis works his way to the kitchen as he prepares for their breakfast, Bash is still sleeping on the couch and so is Kenna upstairs. He was reaching for the eggs when he heard a faint sound upstairs, he assumed that Mary might already be awake.  
“Good morning” Francis said smiling as he saw Mary jog down the stairs  
“someone’s in a good mood” Mary said as she reflected Francis’ smile  
“what are you making?” Mary added  
“I’m making pancakes for breakfast” Francis replied Mary scoots closer to him and helped him prepare the pancakes  
“did you sleep well?” Mary uttered  
“yes and you?... I hope you found my bed comfortable” Francis said while beaming to Mary  
“it’s bearable” Mary replied teasingly  
“bearable? Well I guess I should have just let you sleep on the couch then… with me” Francis whispered to Mary’s ear while setting aside the pancakes that he’s making and pulling Mary closer. He softly kissed her cheek and she giggled.  
The two are enjoying their time alone with each other but it was cut short when they heard someone clear his throat.  
“good morning to you two” Bash said while grabbing a glass of water  
“good morning Bash” Mary said slightly embarrassed  
“didn’t noticed you there” Francis said  
“I’m just getting a glass of water and then I’m off, you two can continue whatever it is you’re doing” Bash said jokily  
“we weren’t doing anything!” Mary said defensively, but still with a smile on her smile  
“oh we were definitely doing something…” Francis said giving Mary a knowing look  
“Francis!” Mary said slapping slightly his chest  
“jeez, you two can’t get your hands off each other already… I’ll just go upstairs and check on Kenna” Bash said  
“off you go” Francis said jokily shooing his brother  
“sooo” Francis said to Mary a little while later  
“sooo what?” Mary answered  
“since it’s Sunday and we don’t have to go to class until tomorrow, I was thinking that maybe we could have… I dunno… a date or something?” Francis said unable to form a coherent sentence while looking to Mary’s beautiful brown eyes, her intoxicating smell distracting him in every way possible.  
“a date?”   
“where?” Mary replied beamingly   
“well we could go watch a movie, eat in a fancy restaurant, go to the amusement park, or wherever you want to go, we can also bring Bash and Kenna with us if you want” Francis said, his hands never leaving Mary’s side  
“that sounds fun but, don’t you have a gig today?” Mary asks while leaning on Francis, they’re both standing in the kitchen yet they feel so comfortable in each other’s arms  
“I have to go to the pub tonight but…I’m all yours the whole day” Francis said while tacking a strand of hair on Mary’s ear  
“Is that so?” Mary said turning around and beaming on Francis, she’s now facing him while his hands touch both of her arms; he planted a soft kiss on her forehead, then to her nose and down to her lips. The kiss was soft at first, but several seconds later it grew more urgent and more passionate. Francis’ arm travels on Mary’s lower back as he pulls her closer; Mary’s hand touches his curls and rests on his neck, pulling him impossibly closer as well. She can feel his smile while he kisses her, she can feel his hands leaving trails of fire on her skin. They stayed like that for several seconds before pausing to catch their breath.  
“you know that pancakes are not going to cook themselves, right?” Mary said smiling  
“yeah, we better make it now before you see my brother on crazy mode whenever he gets extremely hungry” Francis said while laughing genuinely   
“I heard that” Bash said smiling to the two  
“how long were you standing there?” Francis asked  
“sorry Mary, my brother’s is such a creep” Francis added, Mary smiled to Bash  
“is Kenna awake?” Mary asked  
“no, I’m still snoring in Bash’s bed” Kenna said while going down the stairs  
“did you sleep well?” Mary asked  
“yup but my head hurts” Kenna replied as she puts her hand on her forehead  
“it’s as if I banged my head on a wall last night, like Dobby the elf” Kenna added  
“Dobby the elf?” Bash said laughingly   
“it’s because you drank too much last night” Mary said also laughing at Kenna  
“how is it that you look alright while I look like a mess?” Kenna asked her friend as she rubs her eyes  
“the bed I slept on was really comfortable” Mary replied  
“you said it was bearable” Francis said teasingly, he sets up the table and readies their breakfast  
“oh look at you two, already flirting endlessly with each other” Kenna said while giving Mary the look  
“they couldn’t even keep their hands off each other earlier” Bash added  
“ooooh that escalated quickly” Kenna grins, she loves teasing Mary especially when it comes to Francis  
“oh shut it, you should eat, I can hear your tummy rumbling from here” Mary said  
“yeah breakfast is ready” Francis said as he calls everyone to eat  
“finally, it took you ages to finish cooking these pancakes” Bash said amusingly  
“you should have helped me prepare it then” Francis replied  
“and disturb you and Mary? Nah I’ll pass” Bash said   
“so Mary, are we going back to our dorm today? Not that I want to but…” Kenna interrupted  
“actually Francis and I will… go somewhere and you and Bash are more than welcome to come” Mary said  
“where are we going exactly?” Kenna asked  
“we don’t really know yet” Mary replied  
“hmmm we could go to the beach?” Kenna suggested  
“beach sounds fun” Mary said looking at Francis  
“yeah beach sounds awesome” Bash agreed  
“beach it is then” Francis said smiling at Mary  
*later that day*  
“wow this house is gorgeous” Kenna said as they arrived at Francis and Bash’s house near the beach. It has glass walls that overlook the beach and a swimming pool   
“how many houses do you have exactly?” Kenna added  
“well our father likes to buy properties here and there” Bash answered  
“let’s get your stuff inside” Francis said as he carries Mary’s luggage  
“this place is really beautiful” Mary said to Francis as they walk towards the house  
“I’m glad you like it” Francis smiled, it’s the first time he brings guests there, most of the time it’s just him and his brother  
“there are four rooms upstairs, you can choose whichever you like” Francis said to Mary as he tours her to the house  
“thank you for bringing us here, it’s really sweet of you” Mary said as they reached the room of her choosing  
“don’t mention it, I really want us to have a great first date” Francis said almost shyly, Mary smiles as she walks toward Francis and kisses his cheek  
“I do too” Mary said as she places her hands on his chest, Francis was about to kiss her when she heard Kenna shouting something downstairs  
“Mary! We only have a day here, hurry up!” Kenna shouts  
“your friend is rather impatient” Francis teases Mary, though he was quite disappointed because they were disturbed  
“she is” Mary laughs  
“I better go downstairs before she drags me to the beach” Mary added jokingly  
“yeah, I’ll go there as soon as I’m done unpacking my things” Francis said   
~~~*~~~

Mary emerges out of the water in order to catch her breath; she enjoys moments like this, moments where she can think, away from the busy city noises, the sound of waves seems music to her ears.   
“there you are” Francis said as he swims to Mary, she beams at him as he got closer, her arms immediately snaking on his neck, while his hands travels to her hips. She loves how she fits in his arms, like they were made perfectly for each other.  
“what were you looking at?” Francis asks  
“just …the horizon… looking at it makes me wonder what goes beyond it” Mary said  
“I suppose… the nearest island?” Francis replied, pulling her closer, Mary smiled at him  
“even if you sailed all around the world, that perfectly straight line will always be there, it will never change, it will never go away” Mary said looking at the horizon  
“you appreciate the simplest of things” Francis said looking at Mary, he looks at her with awe and amazement  
“it’s because it’s the simple things that matter” Mary said looking at Francis, she beams at him as she holds on to him tighter, pulling him closer  
Francis leans his head as he kisses her; they stayed still savoring the moment. Every kiss they share is soft and passionate at the same time; every time her lips touch his it’s as if her whole body is going to melt. She’s suddenly aware of his touches, she can feel his hands traveling from her hips to her back, pulling her closer, and though they’re on the water she feels hot on every surface of her body, her hand travels from his neck to his chest, it’s the her first time seeing him shirtless and though she wears a white see-through sleeves and white bikini underneath, she feels as naked as him.   
~~~*~~~

“so… how many guests have you brought here?” Kenna asked Bash, they were seating on the shore while drinking their juice  
“actually, you’re the first ones” Bash replied  
“really?” Kenna said with disbelief  
“really” Bash replied  
“how come you never brought anyone? This place is huge, Francis’ band could have a gig here” Kenna suggested  
“we don’t want people from the uni to know that this place is ours…if they knew, this place would have a swarm of girls every day. This beach is our little escape from everything, it’s peaceful and quiet.” Bash explained   
“well yeah, you wouldn’t want loads of girls stalking your brother here… he’s quite popular” Kenna jokes  
“hey I’m popular too” Bash said acting offended  
“really? I didn’t know that” Kenna said smiling as she sips her juice  
“well, now you do” Bash said cheekily as he winks at her  
“hey, do you want to go boating? we have motorboat we could use” Bash said after a few seconds  
“yeah that sounds fun” Kenna said getting excited  
“wait, can Mary and Francis come too?” Kenna suggested  
“sure, although I don’t really know where they went” Bash said looking at the beach  
“I’ll go find them” Kenna stood up and walks to the beach  
It doesn’t take long before Kenna spotted them on the water, Mary laughs as she struggles to get away from Francis, he catches her and tickles her again. Francis was kissing Mary when they got too close to the shore and struck by a wave, Kenna laughed as she watched them, seconds later she saw Francis helping Mary up, they were both laughing  
“hey guys! You wanna go boating?” Kenna said after a few minutes  
“you wanna go boating, Mary?” Francis repeats the question to Mary  
“yeah sure” Mary smiled  
“race you to the shore” Mary added as she struggles to run on the water, the water is now waist deep so she can’t really swim properly because of the waves.   
“gotcha!” Francis said as he embraces her from behind and spins her on the water  
Mary giggles as she tries to escape from his grasp  
“you’re cheating” Mary said between her laughs  
Francis still didn’t let her go as another wave comes and swallows the two  
Kenna just smiles from afar as she watches Mary emerges from the water, still laughing as she slowly walks to the shore, her energy seems to go down after wrestling with Francis on the water  
“I win!” Mary shouts as she reaches the sandy shore, Francis beams at her though still breathless from their ‘race’  
“what’s my price?” Mary asked, her voice teasing  
Francis leans down and pulls her for another kiss, Mary thinks that she will never get tired of this, she’s being used to the ecstatic feeling she gets when she’s with Francis  
They pull apart when they heard someone clear her throat  
“so are you guys coming or are you just gonna kiss there all day?” Kenna said teasing Mary  
Francis smiles at Mary while Mary bit her lower lip in embarrassment, Francis thinks she’s adorably cute when she does that, her cheeks blushed as she reciprocates a smile to him, they both jog towards Kenna a moment later  
“So… are you having fun?” Kenna whispered to Mary’s ear as she got closer, throwing her a knowing look  
Mary beams brightly and her eyes seem to twinkle   
“yeah” Mary smiles, her face glowing  
“I’m so happy for you” Kenna bumps her friend and they both giggled.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Kenna crashed down to the sofa when they arrived back to the house, she feels so exhausted after a day on the beach, they didn’t really do much to be honest, they just went boating and then she tried wakeboarding for the first time, she can still feel the adrenaline running in her veins

“I’m exhaausteeed” she said emphasizing the last word

“get up Kenna, Francis said their band will perform in the pub tonight… and I demand you come with me” Mary said looking down at Kenna on the sofa

“how are you still standing?” aren’t you even tired?? I feel like an elephant stomped on me. Repeatedly.” Kenna said while stretching her arms as she lies weakly on the sofa

Mary laughed while looking at Kenna

“you shouldn’t have gone wakeboarding the whole day then” Mary said as she sits close to Kenna

“it’s not fair, you tried wakeboarding too, why aren’t you even tired??” Kenna asked, the exhaustion clear in her voice

“because Francis didn’t even turn the boat while I was wakeboarding, he drove it so straight that I didn’t have to exert much effort”

“where’s the fun in that?” 

“he was being careful” 

“careful is boring… reckless is fun”

“so you’re saying Bash was being reckless when he was the one driving the boat?” Mary asked

“he drove in little “s” patterns, it’s a miracle I even survived” Kenna joked

“I heard that!” Bash shouted from the kitchen, he and Francis are making dinner for the four of them before heading out

Kenna giggled while lying weakly on the sofa, Mary leans her head back as she too felt the exhaustion from a day well spent

“so… you and Bash huh?” Mary said looking at Kenna teasingly

“do you like him?”

“I don’t know” Kenna said in a loud manner, she knows that Bash is probably eavesdropping in the next room

“you don’t have to deny it… I know that look” Mary said throwing her a knowing smile

“oh shut up Mary… since when did “I don’t know” became a denial?”

“anyway, enough about me… how about you and Francis?”

“what about us?” Mary said

“are you two together? Like, together together?” Kenna asked

“I’m not really sure… I don’t want to assume anything” 

“but you like him?”

“yeah… a lot…” Mary said pressing a pillow to her chest

“he better not break my best friend’s heart then” Kenna said as she throws a pillow to a blushing Mary

*later in the pub*

“are you sure you’re okay to stay here? I hate to leave you alone” Francis said as he holds Mary’s hand before going to the stage, 

Bash decided to stay with Kenna in the house since they’re already both exhausted

“yeah, I’ll be alright, you go ahead” Mary said throwing an assuring smile to Francis, he gives her a quick kiss before walking to the stage. Mary watched him as he walks away and she can also feel the glares of jealous girls around her, she sits alone in one of the chairs and continues eating her food, she remembered the first time she and Francis met; she was also sitting alone when Francis approached her and tried to make a conversation, she was kind of a bitch to her then but he remained nice to her anyway. The crowd grew wild when Francis starts singing, his blue eyes remained glued to her even though loads of girls are screaming his name, trying to get his attention. She felt like melting when he stares at her with awe and she can’t help but wonder how on earth did she get this lucky?

When the song was finished, Francis remained on the stage, he stands there nervously as he removes the microphone out of the mic stand 

“I would like to take this opportunity to profess my love to the girl that captured my heart… I know we just met and—maybe things are moving too quickly and—hell I don’t even know what I’m doing right now… it’s just that whenever I look at you, I feel more and more certain about what I feel, of all the uncertain things in the world, I am only sure of one thing… I love you—I don’t know why… I just do. Whenever I’m with you, I don’t have to be anyone else, I’m—just Francis… so “just Mary”… will you be my girlfriend?” Francis said, he can feel his heart beating fast and his hands shaking, he has never been this nervous his entire life. 

The spotlight found Mary in the crowd and it illuminated her beautiful face, Francis can see tears forming in the corner of her eyes even from afar. Francis quickly jogged towards Mary as she stayed in place for a whole minute, when he got close enough to her, he leaned down in front of her and held her hand

“Mary Stuart… will you be my girlfriend? Francis said, his eyes looking up to her

“yes” Mary said her voice seemingly out of breath

“yes?” Francis asked with disbelief

“Yes, Francis Valois… I would love to be your girlfriend” Mary said her eyes wet with tears, her voice shaking, Francis pressed her lips to her as the crowd cheered for the two of them  
\-------------------------------------

 

“that was quite a show you put up there—it was really convincing to be honest” Olivia said as she approached Francis at the back of the stage

“Olivia? I didn’t know you were here” Francis said as she came even closer, her hands touching his chest

“you don’t have to lie Francis, I know you did that for me, you wanted to make me jealous… and I have to admit that it worked—  
poor Mary actually believe it was true” Olivia said as she touched his beard slowly, Francis shoved her hands and refrained her from touching him

“I didn’t do that for you Olivia, it wasn’t an act to get you back… I am with Mary now, please stay out of our relationship” Francis said trying to avoid being harsh

“I know you still love me Francis, you can stop using Mary to make a point—I admit, I was wrong to cheat on you… I‘ve realized   
that no one can ever measure up to you… you are Francis Valois… no one else comes close” Olivia said as she caressed his cheek, her arms traveling from his curls to the back of his neck

“Olivia stop, you aren’t listening”

“you’re the one who’s not listening, can’t you see? We’re made for each other, you can’t just throw away what we once shared”

“you’re the one who threw away everything Olivia, you cheated on me” 

“for fuck sakes Francis, it was one night!”

“I trusted you and threw it all away for just one night!”

“I’m sorry! Ok? Is that what you wanted to hear? I still love you… is that not enough?!”

“I’m sorry too, for everything… and no, it’s not enough because I’ve moved on and I’m in love with Ma—“ Francis said but was cut off by a kiss, Olivia pressed her lips to his and kissed him hungrily, he didn’t respond because of shock but also because he didn’t want to kiss her back, when her lips met his he no longer feel anything for her, it was just that… a kiss. But before he was able to push her away he heard a movement behind them, Olivia pulled away and spoke

“I’ll never give you up” she said with determination in her voice, she looked at Francis one last time and left

 

*Mary’s P.O.V*

 

She still can’t believe what just happened, Francis is now her boyfriend . Wow. She let that thought sink in while she walks toward the backstage, Francis told her a while ago that he’ll just grab his coat and then they’ll go home but she was impatient as usual so she decided to follow him.

She immediately regrets it the minute she saw them. Francis and Olivia kissing, her one hand on his neck while the other grips his curls, Mary felt sick… she’s shock, disgusted, hurt, she felt betrayed to say the least, she can hear her heart breaking into thousands of pieces while she sees Olivia’s mouth move against Francis’. She slowly walked backwards desperate to get out of that place, she didn’t want them to know that she saw them, she doesn’t want Francis to explain, to fill her with lies, she saw them with her own eyes, that’s all there is… there’s no explanation on Earth that would make her feel any better, right now she just wants to go back to her dorm and forget everything that happened for the past few days, she didn’t want to breakdown in front of all these people, so she holds back her tears as she runs out of the pub, she puts her hand on her chest as she feels her lungs tighten, desperate for air, she bits her lower lip and she felt a tear roll down her cheeks.

She walks toward a car parked outside the pub, she can tell that her knees will give up any minute now so she leaned on the car for support.

“uhm… uh—hey are you alright?” 

Mary heard someone said from inside the car, she should have noticed that someone was there before crying her heart out. Mary saw a tall dark guy emerged from the car, his eyes were dark and so is his hair, he also looked like he’s been participating to the   
“no shave November” trend and the confused expression on his face kinda got Mary irritated

“are you alright?” the man repeated

“are you blind?” Mary said, of course she’s not alright, what kind of question is that? She said to herself

“I’m sorry I was just… I—can I help you?” the man said quite taken aback by her answer, he silently scolded himself for asking such a dumb question

“no… I’m sorry that was rude—just leave me alone” Mary said, not really looking at the guy before she let out another sob, she just wants to be alone in her room right now and the least she needed is a conversation with a stranger

“what?” Mary said to the guy as she noticed that he’s been staring at her for 3 whole minutes

“is someone gonna pick you up? Do you need a ride?” the guy said looking at Mary with worry in his voice

Mary thought for a moment, no ones gonna pick her up since Kenna is probably into deep sleep right now and she left her car in Bash and Francis flat near the pub so there’s no use calling her (which will wake her up and which will also cause Kenna to unleash her wrath on her so yeah…nah), and she doesn’t have a ride since she can’t stand to see Francis now, it’ll be too much to bear. So yeah, she realized she only have two options (she’s sure there would be many other options but her brain is too fucked up right now to even think) either she hail a cab or go with a stranger. But when she looks for her purse she realized that she left it with Francis, so she doesn’t really have any money to get a freaking cab. The more time she thinks, the more confused the guy in front of her looked, so decided to answer him before Francis looks for her and stops her to leave, she needs to get out there as soon as possible.

“actually I do… need a ride I mean… do you mind if I—tag along? My dorm’s not that far, I—just need to get out of this place fast” Mary said as she wipes the tears from her eyes

“get in” The stranger opened the door to the passenger side, Mary hesitated for a while before getting in, this guy could be a serial killer, or a vampire or a cannibal or werewolf or—she said to herself before she was interrupted

“are you okay? You looked… I don’t know—afraid?” the guy said as he stares at Mary

“Look, I’m not gonna kill you or anything like that, I just don’t want to leave you there alone, any moment you would have passed out, you were holding your breath for too long, you know?” the guy said as he starts the engine  
She was holding her breath? She said to herself, she didn’t even noticed that, it’s a habit of her when she tries not to cry, but every time she does that her cries just get even more uncontrollable

“I’m Louis by the way, Louis Conde, just so you would stop referring me to your head as the ‘stranger’ “ Louis said as he keeps his eyes on the road, trying not to look at the beautiful girl beside him

“I’m Mary… Mary Stuart” Mary replied pinning her eyes on the road as well.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
“Bash wake up”

“Bash!” Francis said for the nth time before Bash finally opened his eyes

“Francis it’s not even dawn yet, let me sleep” Bash said as he lazily rubs his eyes, he grabbed a pillow and covers his eyes from the light coming from the bright lamp beside his bed

“Bash! Wake up, help me find Mary” Francis said with urgency in his voice

“what do you mean ‘help me find Mary’?” Bash said with confusion

“she left without me and I just thought she just went back here but obviously she isn’t here and—“

“Francis, calm down, she probably just went back to her dorm” Bash said finally sitting up

“she doesn’t have any money to get a cab, she left her purse in the pub… besides, why would she go there without telling me?” Francis said with a hint of frustration in his voice

“did you guys fight or something?” Bash said still trying to figure things out

“no… I tried calling her but she’s not answering her phone” Francis said

“what’s the commotion about? Where’s Mary, why isn’t she with you?” Kenna said as she entered the room, her eyes tired

“Francis said she left the pub without him” Bash answered

“why?” Kenna asked, looking at Francis

“I don’t know!”Francis answered, he’s tired answering all these questions, he just want to find Mary, see if she’s safe

“jeez calm down, Mary’s old enough, she can take care of herself” Kenna said walking towards the two

“why would she leave without her purse? She doesn’t have any money with her” Francis said

“I’ll go to our dorm, she’s probably there” Kenna suggested, she went back to the other room to grab her phone

“I’ll go with you” Francis said hurriedly as he followed Kenna

“no Francis, there’s a reason why she didn’t tell you why she left… I don’t know what happened between you two but it’s probably best to give her space. I’ll talk to her, find out what happened” Kenna said as she dialed Mary’s number on her phone

“she’s not picking up” Kenna said after several seconds

“please call me when you find her” Francis said his voice filled with worry

“ok” Kenna replied as she jogged towards the door and grabbed her coat

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

“Mary are you here?” Kenna said as she opened the door to their dorm room and turned on the light, she found Mary lying on her bed, her eyes wet with tears

“oh Mary, what happened? Francis has been looking everywhere for you… how did you even get here? Francis said you didn’t have any money with you… “ Kenna said as she approached her friend, she reached for her face and wiped her tears gently

“Louis brought me here” Mary said, her voice tired and a bit sleepy

“who the heck is Louis?” Kenna said 

“just some guy… he offered me a ride home”

“you went with a stranger?!”

“he’s not a stranger, I told you, his name is Louis”

“okay… let me rephrase the question; you went with a guy you just met? What the hell Mary? He could have been a serial killer, he could have brought you somewhere far and… dangerous!” Kenna said, her voice raising

“well he didn’t and I’m here now, safe… you don’t need to freak out” Mary said burying her head on the pillow

“well, Francis is freaking out as we speak and he looked like a mess when he arrived at the house… what happened Mary? Did you guys fight?” Kenna said as she sits closer to Mary

“stay out of it Kenna, you know nothing” Mary said as she pretends to go to sleep

“don’t you ‘you know nothing’ me, I’m not freaking Jon Snow! Francis doesn’t have a clue what happened, you just ran off and now I’m gonna find you here crying yourself to sleep, how am I supposed to figure things out between you two?” Kenna said with an utterly frustrated voice

“well maybe you’re not supposed to figure things out Kenna, there’s nothing to tell… whatever Francis and I had it’s done… it’s over… now let me sleep, I’m tired as hell and we still have classes tomorrow” Mary said as she covers her head with a blanket, she felt Kenna stood up and walked towards her bed, Kenna’s phone rang and she answered it immediately

“Hello Francis… yeah she’s here”

“I don’t think she’s in the mood to talk right now”

“yeah everything’s alright, she’s safe”

“no Francis, I don’t think it’s a good idea to come over”

“you don’t need to worry, okay? She’s fine she just don’t want to talk”

“she’s sleeping now, you should get some sleep too”

“Okay Francis, bye”

Kenna turned off the light and headed toward the bathroom, the silence of the room finally compelled Mary to sleep.

 

\---------------------------------------------------

 

“Mary let’s talk please” Francis said he waited for 3 hours outside Mary’s classroom and now her first class finally ended, he’s been following her around campus like a lost puppy

“There’s nothing to talk about Francis”

“please Mary, talk to me” Francis begged

“I don’t know what I did to make you this upset” he added

“I saw you Francis! You and Olivia” Mary said her voice furious while her eyes looked utterly hurt

Francis looked at her with shock, he didn’t expect her to have seen them, it was a very brief moment but it completely explained   
her reaction, she must have been so upset to ran off like that, without even telling him

“Mary I’m sorry but it’s not—“

“you’re sorry? Well Francis I am too, I regret that I ever met you” Mary said harshly, the students passing them looked baffled

“please don’t say that” Francis said, his voice cracking, his tears threatening to fall any minute

“It’s not how it looked— I didn’t kiss her back”

“and that’s supposed to make it okay?!” Mary said, her voice raising, attracting more attention

“no but—look Mary, I’m so sorry it hurt you, but it was just a kiss, it was nothing more than that… I don’t have any feelings for   
her… please—I’ll make it up to you, I’ll do anything”

“there’s nothing you can do Francis, I don’t want anything to do with you… it’s over” Mary said a tear fell from her eyes as she walked away, desperate to get away from him, she didn’t even look back, afraid that if she did she will just fall into his arms and forgive everything that he did, and she can’t do that to herself, she won’t.

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

It’s been almost a month since Mary and Francis last talked and Mary knew that the last words she said to him might have hurt him but it was what she needed to do, she needed closure otherwise she won’t be able to move on. That day was the last time she saw Francis, Kenna said he keeps on asking about her and on the day of her birthday, Francis filled her dorm room with balloons and flower petals, he left a huge bouquet of roses at her door and a massive cake on her table, Kenna said he baked it himself. 

 

She didn’t speak to Kenna for three whole days for letting Francis inside their room without her permission, she also made Kenna throw out the balloons and clean the flower petals that were scattered on their floor. As for her birthday celebration, she went with Louis to a party with his frat brothers since she wasn’t in good terms with Kenna that day, she has been hanging out with Louis since she and Francis broke up but she can’t really say they’re dating, she made it pretty clear to Louis that she isn’t ready for any relationship yet and he said he was willing to wait however long. 

 

Kenna’s still seeing Bash and she’s often at their beach house, just like tonight… Mary’s alone in her dorm room while she’s writing a paper for her Sociology class, it’s almost midnight and Kenna’s not home yet, as soon as Mary finished her paper, she closed her laptop and went to bed. Hours later, Kenna went home exhausted and utterly tired, Mary was woken up by the bright light, she tiredly rubbed her eyes and sat up to see Kenna more clearly.

“oh hey, sorry I woke you up” Kenna said as she sat on her bed to remove her shoes, Mary noticed how dirty they were which made her curious where Kenna went, she knows she hates getting her shoes dirty and it’s not usual for her to come home this late.

“Where did you and Bash go this time?” Mary said, her voice curious and a bit teasing

“remember the pub beside the café we went to last weekend?” 

“yeah… I guess?” Mary answered Kenna, her voice still tired from sleep

“well, Bash and I was just passing by when we saw it burning, we helped to get everyone out just in time” Kenna said, her eyes seemed worn out

“oh my god, was anyone hurt?” Mary said her voice now filled with concern

“Francis was there, he was already unconscious when we got him out, we rushed him to the hospital but he still hasn’t woken up yet when I left” Kenna said, bracing herself for Mary’s reaction

“what? Why didn’t you call me?” Mary said her eyes filled with shock and concern

“because few weeks ago you made it clear that you don’t want me mentioning his name ever again, and you were acting like he never existed and I was forced to play along… so there” Kenna said her voice clearly exhausted and sleepy

“wait… where are you going?” Kenna blurted out when she saw Mary fixing her hair and taking out clothes from her closet

“I’m going to the hospital” 

“we have a curfew, they won’t allow you to go out at this hour” Kenna said as she watched Mary tie her hair in a pony tail in a very hurried manner

“I don’t care about our curfew Kenna, you just said that Francis is hurt“

“and you said almost a month ago that you don’t fucking care about him!” 

“I lied, okay? I only said that to convince myself that I don’t care anymore, because I thought it would be easier that way” Mary said her voice frustrated, she just wants to go to Francis as soon as possible and Kenna isn’t making things any easier

“so you still care for him?”

“of course I still do! I never stopped caring for him” Mary said as she opened the door, she was about to head out when Kenna stopped her

“Mary, wait!” Kenna said quickly putting her shoes on

“I’ll go with you”

 

\-------------------------------------------

 

Mary and Kenna rushed to the hospital and quickly entered the room where Francis is admitted, when they opened the door, they saw Bash and Olivia sitting beside his bed.

“What the hell is she doing here?” Olivia blurted to Mary as soon as she saw her enter the room

“Olivia, now is not the time for that” Bash said calmly, he’s been so tired and he hasn’t got some sleep since they brought Francis in the hospital

“how dare you bring her here, she’s the very reason why Francis is hurt!” Olivia shouted to Kenna, her voice clearly furious

“what do you mean?” Bash said as he stares at Mary who is equally as shocked as she is

“the pub was already burning when Francis got there, he saw Louis in panic and completely freaking out, Louis said Mary is still inside so Francis rushed to the pub quickly even though it was already swallowed by fire and smoke… I tried to stop him but he didn’t listen, few minutes after he still wasn’t out so I followed him, he was already unconscious when I saw him, that’s when Bash came and got him out” Olivia narrated while looking at Mary with despise

“Louis tricked him into believing that Mary was inside” Olivia added

“he would never do that” Mary just said with tears in her eyes

“look at you defending him! Francis was nearly killed tonight and here you are defending Louis… why are you even here? You   
have no right to be here, you don’t even have the right to be near him, after you threw him away just like that” Olivia said her eyes never leaving Mary

Mary walked out and left the room, she can’t stand looking at Francis knowing that she’s the reason why he got himself hurt in the first place… tears are streaming from her eyes when she heard Kenna going after her

“Mary! Don’t listen to whatever that blond bitch said, it wasn’t your fault” Kenna said as she struggles to keep up with Mary’s fast pace

“but it is! It is my fault Kenna, I—Olivia’s right, I don’t have a right to be here” Mary said as she tries to keep her sobs quiet

“It was Louis’ fault! That fucktard wants you all for himself so he tried to get rid of Francis” Kenna said her voice getting a bit louder, attracting attention from other people in the hospital

“I—I can’t stand to see him hurt, he didn’t deserve this… after everything I put him through” 

“that’s why you need to save him from his agony and go back to his room… he still loves you Mary, he didn’t go to that burning building to lose you all over again”

“but—“

“enough with the buts! Stop making things so fucking complicated, you love him, he loves you… it’s that simple!” Kenna said her voice echoing in the hallway, she’s so tired of seeing the two being miserable without each other, she won’t let them give up on what they had, not if she knows she can do something about it

“go back to his room Mary, or I swear to God I’ll drag you there myself” Kenna added before throwing Mary a threatening glare.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“Mary…”

“Mary, where are you?” Francis muttered while his eyes closed, he has been unconscious for the past 24 hours, the doctor said he might have inhaled too much smoke and the small wound on his forehead indicated that he might have hit his head when he went inside the pub.

“Francis, I’m here” Mary said as she squeezed his hand, she never left his side since she arrived at the hospital the night before

“Mary… you’re alright… you’re here… I—how did you manage to get out? I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get to you… If something happened to you, I would never be able to forgive myself” Francis said as he brought their intertwined hands closer to his chest

 

“Louis tricked you into believing that I was there… I’m so sorry Francis… it’s all my fault, you wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t   
for me”

“you don’t have anything to be sorry for, Mary…”

“no Francis, I should have never doubted you… when I saw you with Olivia I assumed the worst… I—I thought you were only using me to get her back—“ 

“Mary, I’ll never do that to you”

“I know, I’m sorry… oh Francis… I’m so sorry” Mary said before she breaks down in front of Francis, she was so afraid that she’ll lose him, knowing that her last words to him were nothing but lies, she had let him believe that she regret meeting him, it wasn’t even close to the truth, Francis was and still is the best thing that ever happened to her.

“shhh Mary, don’t cry… I love you, I always have… I never stopped loving you, even if it crushed me whenever I see you with someone else”

“Francis I love you… I never loved anyone else… when I found out that you were hurt, I couldn’t stop thinking about the hurtful words I said to you… Francis I’m sorry I lied, I’m sorry I hurt you… I love you, I do… I never regret anything that happened between us” Mary said as she leaned closer and kissed his forehead

“when you get better, we’ll go to the beach again, we’ll watch the sunset together and in the evening we’ll sit around a bonfire with Bash and Kenna, okay? I might even let you see my sketchpad… though it’s just a bunch of drawings of you”

“you drew me?”

“I did… I started drawing you the night we met, I didn’t want to forget how you looked that night… I draw you whenever I miss your face… I even drew you last week—“

“last week? You must have missed me like crazy” Francis said as he teased her, his hand never leaving hers

“I did… I missed your eyes” Mary said as she leaned and kissed Francis’ eyes

“your nose” Mary placed a small peck on his nose

“your lips” Mary captured his lips with hers, she felt him smile as she kissed him and he kissed her back with such passion it made her bones go weak, he bit her lower lip and pulled her down, his hands at the back of her neck

“I love you Mary Stuart” Francis said when they pulled apart

“I love you Francis Valois” Mary said with a bright beam on her lips, she kissed him again, never getting tired of the ecstatic feeling she gets whenever he’s around her. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes, savoring each other’s taste and cherishing the moment they get to share with each other.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“Mary let me explain, I don’t know what Olivia told you, but it’s not true” Louis said as he follows Mary on her way to her class

“please just hear me out, I genuinely thought that you were there, I never tricked Francis, I even tried to stop him from entering the pub, please Mary, believe me… I would never do that to anyone.” Louis said as he continued begging Mary to talk, they’re already attracting too much unwanted attention in the hallway.

“can’t you just give us another chance?” Louis said, he grabbed Mary’s hand rather forcefully and made her face him

“there is no ‘us’, Louis, I’m with Francis now and I’m happy with him, so please stop this, there’s nothing you can do to change my mind”

“you’ll regret going back to him, Mary, he already hurt you once, he’ll do it again, he’ll do it over and over again until your heart grows and numb and the next thing you know you’ll be sleeping with your eyes soaked with tears” Louis said, his voice getting more demanding and louder than necessary

“he might do that or maybe he won’t, it doesn’t really matter, there’s no guarantee that you won’t get hurt in a relationship, but one thing is for sure, I don’t regret going back to him and the hurt I felt while we’re apart is so much worse than the hurt he caused me, he definitely deserve a second chance… so please, leave me be” Mary said as she walked quickly to the classroom without even looking back.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“there’s you prince” Kenna said as she saw Francis just about to cross the street on his way to the coffee shop where Mary and Kenna are. He looks gorgeous as usual, his golden curls getting messed up by the wind while reflecting the rays of the sun as he walks, his black sweater that is folded up to his elbow fits his body perfectly. Mary can’t help but smile as she saw him enter the coffee shop, he beams instantly as soon as he saw her and he almost jogged toward Mary as if he’s so excited and giddy to see her.

“hi” Mary said before Francis leans down on her and gives her a soft kiss on the lips, he can feel her smile against him before they pull apart

“ sorry I’m late, our professor lost track of time and he just keeps on babbling even though it’s already time to dismiss his miserable students” Francis jokes to Mary as he puts his arm behind her back and sits closer to her

“oh hey Kenna” Francis said to Kenna that is sitting across him

“oh you can actually see me? I’m starting to believe that I’m invisible, would have been a great super power” Kenna said as she picks up her cup and sips her coffee, Francis just smiled at her and continued asking

“Where’s Bash?” Francis inquired

“he said he have to attend this seminar on… something— and now I’m here, thirdwheeling you two.” Kenna replied and pretends to be miserable

“and you’re drinking your favorite coffee in your favorite coffee shop at your favorite spot, that’s gotta count for something” Mary said as she laughs at her friend

“besides you’ll see Bash later anyway, you don’t have to mope about it” 

“says the girl who cried herself to sleep every night when she broke up with her boyfriend” Kenna teased

“Kenna!” Mary said embarrassingly, her cheeks blushed almost instantly

“I’m sorry for that, for everything” Francis said as he gently squeezed Mary’s hand that is now intertwined with his

“no Francis, it’s not your fault, and I’m already past that, I’m just glad that you’re here” Mary said returning the squeeze as she smiles at him reassuringly

“I am too… “ Francis said and then there’s a long pause

“by the way, did you change the body wash that you were using? You smell like cinnamon today” Francis said as he leans closer and smiles at Mary, their eyes flirting

“oh, I didn’t think you’d notice but yeah, I kinda ran out of body wash this morning, I just bought that from the convenience store near your dorm but they didn’t have the one with the vanilla scent on it” Mary answered

“oooh so that’s where you were last night, I was wondering why you didn’t came home, you know?” Kenna said as she stared at Mary knowingly

“oh really? Then I wonder why you haven’t texted me with all that: “wth are u Mary???” messages” Mary teased

“well, Francis didn’t text and ask me where you were and so I thought that maybe you’re with him?” Kenna said as she tries to find an alibi

“but that’s not my point, are you two sleepi—“

“Kenna!” Mary got even redder than she already is, Francis just laughed at her reaction

“okay, okay I was just curious, jeez” Kenna said as she drinks her coffee as she tries not to laugh at her friend’s reaction

“this seems like an awkward moment to interrupt, Mary blushing, Francis laughing and Kenna trying her best not to laugh” someone said from afar

“Bash, you’re here! I thought you have to attend something?” Kenna said excitedly 

“It finished earlier than expected, so yeah, now I’m here… what did I miss? What’s with the odd expression on your faces?” Bash asked

“nothing” Mary and Francis said in unison as Bash responded them with a knowing smile

“okay?... so what are our plans for tonight? Any ideas?” Bash asked as he sits next to Kenna, she offered him her coffee, Bash sips a little and he had an odd expression on his face after drinking

“what?” Kenna asked

“it’s bitter” Bash said as if offended by the coffee

“of course it’s bitter, it’s coffee, you idiot” Kenna said as she snatched back her drink, Mary and Francis just laughed at the two

“you two are adorable” Mary said as she giggles to her friend

“oh shut up, Mary” Kenna said trying to sound hateful but ended up smiling herself

“helloooo?? any ideas for tonight? Do you guys even hear me” Bash said repeating his last question, he pretends that he’s offended and pouts like a child as he crosses his arms

“we could—I don’t know… go to your beach house, maybe? We’ve had so much fun there” Kenna suggested

“would that be okay?” Mary asked both Francis and Bash

“yeah, of course… we could spend the night there, and that bonfire you suggested, we could do that too” Francis replied to Mary, she smiled in response and looked at Kenna who looks as excited as she is

“I’ll go back to the dorm, I’ll just get some clothes” Kenna informed them

“I’ll go with you” Bash offered

“Mary and I will just go back to my dorm and then we’ll head straight there” Francis said

“see you both at 5pm?” Bash asked

“yeah, sounds good” Francis answered as he and Mary stood up, Kenna and Bash followed, they left the coffee shop at once and   
head to different ways.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“that’s not fair!” Kenna said, her face already red from drinking too much, they’re all already wasted but they still haven’t stopped their drinking game yet

“take a shot!” Mary, Francis and Bash said in unison, they’re laughing so hard Bash nearly choked on his drink

“okay, okay, fine! but this is the last one. I can’t. drink. Anymore! ‘kay?” Kenna said as she lets the drink pass through her throat, leaving a burning sensation

“that drink, taste. Like. Shit. For reaaaal… where the hell did you buy that?” Kenna said as she rubs her nose and lazily bats her   
eyes, she looks like she’s going to throw up any minute

“Kenna, it doesn’t taste that bad at all, you drank a whole bottle of it, A WHOLE BOTTLE!” Bash said as he laughs continuously and lies on the sand, they were all around the bonfire, Francis on his sleeveless maroon shirt while Mary wears his sweater and her white shorts are still wet by seawater, they didn’t have the chance to change clothes. After they enjoyed themselves in the water they immediately built a bonfire to keep them warm despite the cool breeze.

“I’m never gonna drink that stuff again, and I will have a massive head ache tomorrow, I just know it” Kenna complained as she buries her head on her hands

“I had fun today though, I wish we could do this more often” Mary said as she sits between Francis’ legs, his hands resting just below her stomach as he presses a soft kiss at the back of her head, Mary buries herself further into the warmth of his body, as if the sweater that she’s wearing is not enough to fight the cold wind.

“easy for you to say, I’m the one who gets wasted every time we go here, ‘s not fair, not fair not all” Kenna said childishly, Bash who’s lying beside her just let out a muffled laugh, Kenna smacked him on the chest as she continues rambling

“why are you laughing? You’re being so mean, you know? You shouldn’t have let me get myself this wasted, this is your fault, mister… I am never going to invite you here again, ever” Kenna said, some of her words almost getting lost in her lips, she’s so drunk she can’t even keep her eyes open for 2 seconds, she just blinks slowly as she talks.

“excuse you, this is my place” Bash laughs even louder, teasing Kenna when she’s drunk has almost become a routine for them

“oh yeah… right, then I’m never going to invite you to uh—our dorm? Yeah our dorm, you can’t go there, ever. Right Mary?” Kenna said as she looks at her friend, but Mary didn’t seem to hear Kenna’s words when Francis leans down and kissed her tenderly on the lips, Kenna can see her smiling against his lips.

“ugh, look at this two, if I’ll have a dollar every time I see them kiss, I’ll be rich already” Kenna said to Bash, he just smiled at her, he offered his hand as he stood up

“we should probably go back to the house before we disturb the love birds” Bash grinned and Kenna took his hand, he and Kenna went inside, hand in hand, free from all the troubles in the world.

 

~o~o~o~

 

Mary’s head bumps into one of the paintings that hang on the hallway on their way to Francis’ bedroom.

“sorry” Francis said in between kisses, Mary’s legs are wrapped around his waist as he carries her to his bed, they got rid of each other’s clothes when they finally reached the bed.

“Mary, are you sure about this?” Francis said, his eyes searching hers for any sign of hesitation

“yes” Mary answers breathlessly, she tried to sound sure and confident but instead she sounded helpless and begging, she brought her lips to his as their bodies move in unison.

Nights on the beach house are often still and silent, but this night, it was filled with muffled giggles and elated moans. Meanwhile, Bash and Kenna pretends to not hear a thing as they awkwardly watched Netflix on the couch downstairs.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“Francis” Mary said as she was woken up by the awfully loud doorbell, she untangles her limbs from his as she faces him.

“Francis, there’s someone at your door”

“Francis” Mary said half awake, she brings the blanket higher to cover her naked chest as she fights the cold breeze from the AC.   
She hears the doorbell once again and continues to wake Francis up

“darling, it’s getting annoying” she complains as she softly kisses his neck to wake him up

“hmmm” Francis just said in response

“do you want me to get it?” Mary offered, though she’s not really in the mood to get up yet but Francis looks so peaceful in his sleep and he still looks tired from the night before so she decided to get up in his place

“wait, wait… I’ll get it” Francis stopped her when he feels her move away from him, he already misses the warmth of her body.

“I’ll get it, you’re not even dressed yet… stay here and sleep, it’s probably someone from the pub” Francis said as he gets up and puts some clothes on, he presses a tender kiss on Mary’s forehead when he sees her already settling back on the warmth of their bed, she throws him a smile before giving in to sleep.

 

Moments later, Francis came back with much urgency in his voice

“Mary” he said as he tries to wake her gently

“darling wake up, my mum’s here” Francis though he said it gently, there is no hiding the evident hurry in his voice, and with that Mary’s eyes opened almost instantly.

“what?” she said, the panic in her voice arising

“it’s okay, she’s probably just here to visit me, just get dressed and go downstairs, Kenna and Bash are already there”

“Francis, it’s not okay, I’m meeting your mum in 10 seconds, how is that okay?” Mary said as she got up from the bed and put some clothes on, she was desperately trying to look presentable as she ties her hair in a ponytail in front of the mirror.

“you don’t need to worry about it, she’ll love you, just as much as I do…” Francis said as she tries to calm her down, Mary just throws him a worried look, she doesn’t seem convinced that his mother will like her, especially not in the situation that they are in right now.

“well, maybe not as much as I love you but, I’m sure she’ll like you, trust me” Francis said as he took Mary’s face in his hands, he kissed her passionately and when they pull apart, the tension on her face is gone.

“do you trust me?” Francis asked her, his blue eyes piercing through her heart

“of course” Mary replied, she finally smiled and caressed his cheek, they went downstairs hand in hand as Mary tries to calm the fast and loud beating of her heart.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“I have a meeting with investors this afternoon so I’ll just make this quick” Catherine said as she sits confidently on the couch in Francis’ living room, they were all gathered there, none of them talked except Francis’ mum.

“I will be leaving for England next week…and Francis, you’re coming with me, you’ll continue your studies there. You can already start packing your things and you should end any… unnecessary connections…” Catherine said as she looks at Mary

“leave all the things that you will not need there, we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. ” Catherine coldly said as she stood up and left, leaving everyone dumbfounded.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“Call me when you get there, okay?” Mary said as she slowly lets go of Francis’ hand

“I still don’t think this is the right thing to do” Francis said as he caresses Mary’s cheeks. Mary on the other hand, just sadly smiled at him.

“it’s not too late, maybe I’ll just— I’ll stay here… yeah, my mum’s already in London she can’t make me go there, she can’t make me leave you” Francis said with hopeful eyes

“no, Francis. She’ll get angrier if you do that, she’ll drag you there herself if she has to, we both know that… besides, we already talked about this, remember? It’s for the best.” Mary replied to convince Francis but also to convince herself.

“how can this be for the best?” 

“Francis, this is only temporary. We’ll make this work, okay?” Mary said half convincingly, half pleadingly to Francis

“Francis please, look at me” Mary said as she touched Francis’ cheeks and made him look at her eyes

“We’ll get through this, Francis. I believe in you.” Mary said so softly it almost sounded like a whisper

 

“I believe in us.” Francis replied while putting a soft kiss on her forehead.

“uhh guys, I hate to ruin the moment but, I think Francis needs to go now, like RIGHT NOW.”   
Bash said as he glances at his wrist watch, the airport is buzzing with people, there are people rushing to catch their planes and some are just walking slowly as if they’re taking a tour inside a museum, while others are just impatiently sitting near where they stand having no fucks to give that Francis and Mary are just standing there caressing each other’s faces for like 2 hours now (well not really 2 hours, it only felt as if 2 hours have already passed because Bash gets bored with those kinds of things)

“guys?” Bash said again when he got no response from Francis and Mary

“great, I guess I unknowingly turned on my invisibility powers again, or maybe I accidently muted myself…hmmm” 

“shut up you idiot, I can hear you” Francis said jokingly to his brother

“I guess the only good thing about me leaving is that I’ll have my own room again. Ha! No more big brother who won’t turn off the lights because he’s afraid that the monster under his bed will eat his other foot which he didn’t cover with his blanket” Francis added while tapping Bash’s back

“very funny, I know you’ll miss me, little brother. You don’t have to hide it.” Bash answered back

“ha! You wish. Take care of Mary, okay?” Francis said to Bash

“I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you” Mary said while smiling

“you heard her. Now go quickly and study in London, you’ll take care of her yourself when you get back.” Bash said giving Francis a hug.

Francis hugged Bash and then Kenna who stand there quietly for the past hour.

“please look out for my brother, I know he’s a pain in the ass sometimes but he’s really a good guy” Francis said to Kenna, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze

“I know, you take care too, I don’t wanna see my best friend worried sick about you, okay?” 

“yes ma’am” Francis said smiling at Kenna, he then walks towards Mary and gave her a tight hug.

“I love you” Francis softly said on Mary’s ears

“I love you too” Mary said in a heartbeat, she looked into his ocean blue eyes and kissed him passionately, Francis returned the kiss with much fervor.

“wait for me” Francis finally said when they pull apart

“I’ll wait for you.” Mary replied as she tries to sound happy and hopeful while tears are threatening to fall from her eyes.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“okay spill it, what’s wrong?” Kenna finally said to Mary, she has been watching her best friend for the past hour, looking out the window of their dorm room while hugging tightly her teddy and from the looks of it,, the poor bear is already being choked to death. Poor thing.

“Did I do the right thing, Kenna? Convincing him to leave, pretending like nothing’s wrong?” Mary said 

“Well… it’s not like you have a choice, remember? You told me his mum would cut Francis off if he stayed here.”

“yes but—I should have just told him the truth, I convinced him that this is what I want as well, he didn’t know that the last thing I want is for him to leave… I—ugh this is so complicated.”

“at least you two are still together, right? Well, not physically together but your relationship is still intact… right?” Kenna asked as touched Mary’s knee comfortingly

“not exactly” Mary said, her eyes full of sadness and longing

“oh please don’t tell me his mum asked you to break up with him as well”

“she just… doesn’t know that Francis and I are still together”

“and you’re worried that she’ll try to break you guys up? Kenna asks sympathetically, Mary just gave her a tiny nod, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“oh Mary” Kenna gave her best friend a comforting hug while gently rubbing her back

“look how fast how things change, it’s only our first year in the uni and already too much has happened” 

“you met Bash and I met Francis… and now we’re here” Mary said, trying to recall the happenings of the past months

“now we’re here… and it was one hell of a ride” Kenna said trying to light up the atmosphere

“yes it was” Mary said, finally giving her best friend a half smile 

“and considering what we went through, what you and Francis went through… I dare say you guys are a strong couple”

“you think so?”

“I know so… and yours and Francis’ love is so great, Mary… it will take more than distance to keep you guys apart.”

“Thanks Kenna” Mary said, her mood changing for the better, her grip on her teddy bear slowly loosening, she turned the bear around, facing her, she can see her reflection in its blank eyes and she thought… maybe, just maybe… they’ll make this work. 

 

~o~o~o~

 

*2 months later*

“Would you please calm down and just sit for a second? You’re making me dizzy” Kenna said as she watches her roommate   
walking around their room with a phone in her hand

“I can’t reach Francis, it’s going straight to voicemail” Mary said anxiously

“well, maybe he’s busy at the moment?”

“it’s been 5 days, Kenna. 5 DAYS. Don’t tell me he’s ‘busy’ the whole time I’m calling his phone”

“okay, okay… don’t get mad at me, I’m not the one who’s not calling you back” Kenna said as she continues to study for her finals, but Mary is making it so hard for her to concentrate. Mary stopped walking around their room and finally sat down on her bed, she was quiet for a few minutes and this made Kenna stop studying as she finally looks at her, she can see tears falling from Mary’s eyes as Mary tries her best to hold them back.

“he’ll call you back soon, I promise” Kenna said trying to comfort her friend

“what if he doesn’t? what if—oh my God, do you think he found out about the deal I made with his mother? Is that why he’s avoiding me?” Mary asked Kenna nervously

“okay stop right there, you’re already jumping to conclusions. First, I think that maybe you’re overreacting—“

“what?” Mary asked slightly offended

“you don’t think I’ve noticed but, you’re very moody these past few days, weeks even. Ever since Francis left, you’ve been on edge.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it… I’m so sorry Kenna I—I’ve lost Francis, I can’t lose you too”

“you’re not gonna lose me, you idiot. Now back to my second point, we don’t know for sure if Francis already knows or if he is indeed avoiding you, so don’t worry about that now. If it will make you feel better, I’ll ask Bash about him, okay?”

“okay” Mary said trying to sound hopeful, she sure hopes that Francis is alright, and at the back of her mind she hopes that she’ll be alright as well.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“so what did Bash say?” Mary said as arrives in their room after class, she finds Kenna studying on her bed.

“he hasn’t spoken to Francis for the past days but he’s sure Francis is alright”

“he’s not even worried?” Mary asked, confused

“nope… and you shouldn’t be either” Kenna said as she goes back on reading her book while Mary sits weakly on her bed.

“oh Kenna!” Mary said after a minute, her voice hopeful and excited at the same time. Kenna looked at her and immediately understood what she’s thinking.

“oh no, no. I know that look… you’re not planning on going to London, are you?” Kenna said looking at her friend as if she has gone out of her mind

“I’ll surprise him, if he hasn’t spoken to Bash either then maybe he’s not ignoring me, maybe he’s just busy like you said” Mary said feeling suddenly optimistic

“while I enjoy your unusually optimistic mood, I don’t think going to London is a good idea right now” 

“It’s a great idea, Kenna! We haven’t spoken for the past days and I haven’t seen him for the past two months, I think now is the right time to go to him” 

“but have you forgotten that it’s our finals, next week?”

“I’ll only be gone for a day, maybe two?” Mary said realizing that maybe she did not think this through

“Mary, I’m the impulsive and reckless one, remember? You’re the more reasonable one and you care a great deal about your studies. And I honestly think Francis will not be very happy about you going there before finals week.”

“fine, I’ll go there after the finals week. I won’t call him either… two can play at this game” Mary said as she grabs her book and starts studying, her mood has lighten up knowing that she’ll see Francis, her Francis soon.

 

~o~o~o~

 

*1 week later*

 

“so you’re still doing this?” Kenna said as she sees Mary packing up her things

“yep”

“I thought you will only stay there for a day or two?”

“Plans changed, now that the semester is over, maybe I can stay there longer” Mary said as she looks up to Kenna while trying to fit her clothes to her annoyingly small bag

“how long exactly?” Kenna asked mockingly, Mary just throw her friend a knowing smile and continued packing

“hasn’t he called you back yet?”

“well, he texted me before finals, he said ‘good luck with your finals babe, I know you can do it. Love you’ “Mary said as she mimics Francis’ voice 

“that short huh?”

“yep, and he hasn’t even explained why he’s not returning my calls, it’s…infuriating”

“and yet you’re here, packing your bags to go to him”

“if he doesn’t want to talk to me on the phone, maybe I’ll just talk to him in person.” Mary said as she finally zips her bag shut.

 

~o~o~o~

 

Mary waits impatiently outside Francis’ flat as she presses the doorbell for the nth time, she’s so tired from her flight and all she wants is to see her boyfriend whom she hasn’t seen for 2 whole months. She tucks the few strands of her hair that has fallen from her messy bun as she straightens her dress that has been slightly crumpled from her annoyingly long flight.  
She expected ocean blue eyes and unruly curls to open the door for her but instead she was surprised when a brunette with olive green eyes looked at her confusingly.

“Can I help you?” the brunette said with her strong British accent, her shirt—which is obviously not hers—falls to her upper thigh and its first 3 buttons are still undone, she wears only boxer shorts as she patiently waits for Mary to answer.

“oh…uhm—I’m so sorry, I think I’ve got the wrong address. Sorry” Mary said embarrassingly, she rang the bell brutally for the past hour only to find out that she’s got the wrong flat. She walks away from the door rather quickly, dragging her bag with her, only after walking a few feet did she realize that she has nowhere else to go. 

“do you need help?” the brunette said after sensing that she has no idea what she’s doing

“no, no. I’ve got this” Mary said forcing a smile to the brunette

“actually I—uhm do you know any Francis Valois living near this area? You know, blond curls, blue eyes?” Mary asked hoping that the girl know where he is

“Francis? Francis Valois?” the brunette asked, clearly surprised, recognition emanating from her eyes

“yes, do you know him?” Mary said already feeling hopeful

“he lives here” the brunette answered, smiling at her

“here? Do you mean here in this neighborhood or near this street or here, here? Like, in this flat?” Mary said clearly confused, she   
definitely doesn’t like what’s going on

“yes, in this flat. Come in, he’s just taking a shower” the brunette said while still smiling at her, Mary can’t quite explain why her hospitality annoys her in some way.

“no, there must have been a mistake. Francis said he lives alone, with his mother living in another town with his other siblings” Mary said trying to comprehend the situation

“oh yes, but that was before I moved in” the brunette explained

“you did what?” Mary said, clearly infuriated now.

“I moved in 2 weeks ago, Francis asked me to” the brunette stared at her, still confused.

“and who are you exactly?” Mary asked, tears already forming in her eyes, slightly blurring her vision

“I’m Simone, his girlfriend. And you are?” the brunette said quite proudly, emphasizing the word ‘girlfriend’ in Mary’s face, she seemed already annoyed at Mary at this point.

Mary can almost hear her world crumbling down and her heart breaking into pieces, months of waiting and worrying about Francis and this is what she gets, she stares at the girl in front of her who is still waiting for her answer.

“I’m nobody… for clearly I’m not his girlfriend for he already has one.” Mary said trying to sound indifferent but instead her voice breaks and a single tear fell to her cheek, she walked away from the utterly confused Simone and this time, she didn’t look back and ask for help.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

 

“you just walked away??!” Kenna said after Mary managed to go back to their dorm room in one piece and narrate to her confused roommate what she found out in London as she remembers it quite vividly. 

“you didn’t even pull out her hair, maybe 2 or 3 strands or better yet, a handful?! You didn’t even gouge her bloody eyes from her eyes bloody eye sockets??! You didn’t even slap her annoying face??! Oh my God, Mary”

“I’m starting to think that I did the right thing by not bringing you there with me”

“If I was there with you, I would have slapped her face a hundred times and Francis’ a thousand times over! And let me get this straight, not only did you just walk away, you didn’t even see Francis? You told me he was just taking a shower, why didn’t you wait for him?”

“what’s the point? He would just deny the whole thing, he would just lie to me about the truth I already know. I can’t Kenna, I can’t do it. I can’t look at him and ask why he’s done this… I—“

“Oh Mary” Kenna said as she hugs her friend tightly, Mary chokes on her sobs as she catches her breathe and tried to speak.

“how could he—“

“shhh Mary, he doesn’t deserve any of your tears. You’ll get through this, we’ll get through this together, okay?” Kenna said as she rubs her friend’s back, Mary buried her face on Kenna’s neck and continued crying. Kenna hugged her friend even tighter and hopes that maybe tomorrow, everything will be better.

 

~o~o~o~

 

*2 days later*

“do you think she’ll be surprised?” Francis said joyfully as he holds his gift for Mary in his hands, they were in Bash’s car on their way home from the airport

“I really think you should have told her you that were coming home, she’s been worried about you, you know?” Bash said as he glances at his younger brother then quickly transferring back his gaze to the road

“I wanted to surprise her, we’ve been apart for so long, I wanted to do something nice for her” Francis said while beaming at his brother, clearly excited to see his girlfriend.

“and what exactly did you plan for her?” Bash asked, quite intrigued.

“well, since it’s our summer break, I want to take her to Europe, we’ll go to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Budapest—“

“you sure have a lot of money, little brother. Meanwhile, maybe I’ll just take Kenna to the beach house and stay there all summer.”

“I’m sure she’ll love that… I’ve been saving up since I arrived in London, you know. I wanted to make it up to Mary, I’m still mad at my mother for forcing me to go with her and I’m just really thankful that Mary has been so understanding about this whole situation.”

“yeah about that, does your mother know that you and Mary are still together?” 

“we don’t really talk much, but even if she doesn’t agree with it, it won’t really change much. Mary and I love each other and there’s nothing she can do to stop us.” Francis said, convincing himself, it’s quite odd that his mother hasn’t make a move yet to break his relationship with Mary, but even if she does, Francis hopes that they’ll be strong enough to stay together no matter what.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“Mary, get dressed, you’re going with me” Kenna said while putting some make up on.

“you’re old enough to go alone” Mary weakly replied as she buries her face on the pillow

“I’m not doing this for myself, I’m doing this for you. Guess who’s gonna get drunk tonight??” Kenna said teasingly, taking the pillow that Mary used to cover her face

“I’m not feeling well. Go away” Mary said, making a shoo motion with her hand

“of course you’re not feeling well, you just found out your boyfriend—or should I say ex-boyfriend is cheating on you and—“

“thanks for reminding me Kenna, you’re such a great, great friend.”

“that’s why we’re going to get drunk, to forget and move on! It’s actually a good thing that Francis—“

“don’t mention his name when I’m around” Mary said as she childishly covers her ears

“okay, it’s actually a good thing that you know who is not here so you won’t have to bump into him and have that awkward ex-boyfriend kind of moment.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about”

“well, never mind, just get dressed ‘cos we’re going to party!!”

“I’m not going” Mary said stubbornly as she pulls the blanket above her head

“oh yes you are darling, yes you are.” Kenna insisted as she pulls the blanket off of Mary and continued convincing her to go until she finally gives in.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“ugh all these smells are making me dizzy” Mary said as she tries to squeeze her way through the wave of people in the party

“wait till I make you drink” Kenna said as she teases Mary

“oh no, no. I don’t think I’m going to drink tonight, I already feel like throwing up” Mary said feeling nauseated

“oh come on, Mary. Don’t be such a party-pooper, what’s stopping you from drinking anyway? The semester is over, you’re single and—“ 

“hey Mary!” Mary and Kenna both turned around as they heard a quite familiar voice

“oh God” Mary said as she tries to pretend that she didn’t hear anything

“oh there’s Louis, there’s your distraction, girl” Kenna said as she elbows her friend

“she tried to hurt Francis, remember?” Mary said to Kenna, looking at her as if she’s gone insane

“do you mean, he tried to hurt the guy who cheated on you? He sounds like a good guy to me” Kenna said jokingly as she pushes her gently towards Louis Conde, Mary just rolled her eyes at her

“give the guy a chance, okay? For all we know, he could just be wrongly accused by Olivia, we know how crazy that girl can be” Kenna said as Louis finally caught up with them

“hey I didn’t expect to see you here” Louis said, checking Mary out

“yeah… Kenna insisted” Mary replied

“what?” Louis said, the loud music making it hard for them to have a conversation without shouting

“I said; Kenna insisted!” Mary shouted on his ear

“ow!” Louis said as Mary shouted rather loudly 

“sorry!” Mary shouted again, this time more softly but also closer to Louis’ ear

“you’re quite a screamer” Louis teased, whispering on Mary’s ear, making her blush

“I guess I should leave you two alone then” Kenna said as she gets lost in the crowd, patting herself on the back that she finally gets Mary to leave her bed. She was quite startled when she feels her phone vibrate, she distanced herself from the crowd and answered her phone.

“hey you” Kenna said, blushing a bit because Bash called

“hey, where are you?” Bash said on the other side of the line

“we’re at this party—“

“is Mary with you?” Bash asked

“yeah, why?”

“you’ll see when I get there, text me the address, will you?”

“okay sure”

“okay, see you soon”

“bye” Kenna said before hanging up, she returned to the party and went to the spot where Mary and Louis are dancing.

“Bash is coming here” Kenna informed Mary while they’re both dancing

“I might have to leave you guys when he gets here, are you okay with that?” Kenna asked Mary

“yeah, sure. You should have fun too, you know. You don’t have to babysit me, I’ll be fine” Mary assures her friend

“behave yourself” Kenna throws a warning glance to Louis but she only received a small laugh, perhaps Louis didn’t find her   
glare threatening enough.

“we’ll be fine, Kenna. Just go, okay? You don’t have to worry”

“you sure?”

“yeah”

“okay bye, I’ll see you later” Kenna said as she smiles at Mary, she walks away from them and battled the huge crowd until she was able to break free and reach the exit. 

 

~o~o~o~

 

“we’re here” Bash delightfully said as they arrived at the club, he glanced at his brother sitting on the passenger seat who’s smiling like an idiot.

“I’ll go find Kenna, she texted me and said she’s outside the club, you go in and surprise Mary” Bash said almost teasingly

“okay, I’ll just text you later” Francis replied after going out of Bash’s car and slamming the door shut.  
He entered the club and excitedly searched for Mary amidst the sea of people, the blinking neon lights making it harder for him to look for her, not to mention the almost hysterical crowd that is jumping in sync with the upbeat music. After minutes of searching, his eyes almost glowed and his mouth formed a wide smile as he finally spotted her standing alone near the barstools, as he makes his way through the crowd, he was almost enraged when he saw Louis Conde approaching Mary from behind, his hand offering her a drink, while the other encircles her waist Francis realized that they hasn’t seen him at all and was more angered when they started whispering into each other’s ears, their bodies close to each other. Too close, Francis thought. Francis saves his rage for later and approached them despite his obvious jealousy.

“Mary!” Francis called, he tried to hide the sound of hurt in his voice and attempted to sound delighted to see her but his tone fails him and his call resembled an accusing tone.

“Francis, what are you doing here?” Mary replied equally shocked and confused, and there is no hiding the anger in her voice. Louis was startled by Francis and quickly removed his hand off of Mary’s waist

“I came to surprise you but I’m actually the one who’s utterly surprised right now” Francis replied not even attempting to hide the anger anymore because he doesn’t get why on earth would Mary be angry to see him, he came all the way from London only to see her upset that he is finally here.

“Why? Did you come here unannounced to see if I’m behaving properly? To make sure that I’m not doing whatever it is you were doing in London?!” Mary asked accusingly

“what?!” Francis replied completely confused

Mary refused to answer; she can’t believe he’s still playing dumb when she already know the painful truth.

“why are you even with him, Mary? Would you please, please explain because I don’t even know what I did to make you this angry… did I do something wrong?” Francis said demanding and pleading at the same time, he seems desperate for an explanation but Mary remained quiet and refused to look at him.

“Mary please, say something… are you still mad that I didn’t call you back? If so then I am so so sorry, I was planning this whole thing, I wanted to surprise you and then—“ 

“Francis stop, please just stop” Mary said, barely audible because of the loud music, she just wants to leave and get out of the club and maybe stay as far away from Francis as possible, she’s afraid she’ll give in and forgive him and with those pleading eyes looking at her, shaking her whole being, she’s quite sure will, so she hardened her heart before it even get the chance to take over her mind and rule over her decision.

“Please, Mary” Francis said, his voice almost shaking as he takes her hands in his, feeling their warmth, Mary shivers in his touch but she pretends that he doesn’t affect her in any way, but he does, God knows he does.

In that very instant, Mary made up her mind and decided that she will and maybe they both will be better off without each other. They’ve been through many things and have once upon a time believed that they can endure anything so long as they continue to love each other. But the heart can only endure so much before it succumbs to the pain it so often loathe. And Mary, already drowning in so much pain and anger from Francis’ betrayal, realized that the only way for the pain to stop if for her to let go and move on, and that is what she does.

“Francis… I—the past 2 months have changed me in so many ways, it made me realize many things that I will not otherwise realize… if your around, I’ve become stronger… wiser… I’ve learned new things, I discovered the world on my own and now… I am now facing a bigger horizon, new possibilities and opportunities knocked on my door I—“

“what are you saying? What—“

“I’ve come to realize that my love for you is holding me back”

“what? I don’t understand”

“we shouldn’t be together, Francis. We’re not good for each other…”

“Is this your doing?!” Francis suddenly asked Louis, startling him

“leave him out of this” Mary quickly said, going between Francis and Louis

“is it my mother then? Did my mother made you do this? Because I swear to God Mary, I will fight for you, for us. There’s nothing she can do—“

“I don’t love you anymore, Francis!” Mary said out of desperation, but she quickly regretted what she said, the look on Francis’ eyes made it seem like he was stabbed a hundred times

“Mary—” Francis managed to say after letting her words sink in, his voice seemed like a whisper, barely audible even without the loud music, wet hot tears suddenly falls out of his eyes, Mary couldn’t take it, she said those words to make him leave her alone for good but it only made him freeze to where he’s standing, his eyes staring widely at her with utter disbelief.

“I don’t believe you” Francis said, slightly shaking his head, he intended it to sound mocking but instead he sounded completely hurt and betrayed.

“I know it’s hard to accept but it is the truth… I’m only going to ask you one thing, please, please leave me alone, don’t try to call or text me or leave some voice messages or beg Kenna to get you to talk to me, don’t try to reach me. Ever… Promise me this and I’ll promise to do the same” Mary said almost emotionless, she continued staring at him, waiting for an answer.

“don’t I even at least deserve an explanation, of why you’re doing this, of why you decided to leave me out of nowhere?” Francis said, his voice breaking and tears keep falling from his eyes. Mary seemed not to hear a word as she decides to walk away, her legs weak and she feels like she’s going to crumble any minute. Francis grabbed her hand made her face him one last time.

“Please Mary, please don’t do this” Francis said pleadingly

“let me go” Mary said, trying to break away from Francis’ grasps

“please don’t leave me Mary. Please.” Francis said almost begging, if the club wasn’t too crowded he would have kneeled right then and there. But Mary’s face showed no emotion, not even anger nor regret, and it made Francis feel worse. If Mary hated him, it would have been better, well still bad, but a little bit better. Her emotionless face made him feel that he isn’t anyone worth feeling for, if she only hated him then he will still, in some way, occupy her thoughts, maybe even her heart, for you can’t hate someone without letting them enter your head. But Mary’s stare at him was different, it made him feel worthless, it made him feel like he is nothing and maybe without her, he truly is.

 

~o~o~o~

 

*1 week later*

“Fuck no. Fuck… Please, please, please no” Mary said with utter shock and disbelief.

“Oh God please don’t make this real, please don’t make this real” Mary chants as her hands visibly shakes in front of her.

“hey girl, you okay in there?” Kenna said as she knocks on the bathroom door

“yeah…no” Mary said, even her voice seem shaky

“what’s wrong?” Kenna asked, getting really worried, she was quite startled when Mary opened the door and shows her a tiny white thing.

“well fuck” Kenna just muttered the minute she saw the two red lines on the pregnancy test.

“you’re pregnant?” Kenna said after regaining her breath, her tone totally shocked. Mary stared at her with utterly scared eyes before giving her friend a tiny nod.


	12. Chapter 12

“my mom’s going to kill me for sure” Mary said as she buries her face in her hands

“it’s Francis’ child, right?” Kenna asked innocently

“of course it’s Francis’! I have never been with anyone else” Mary replied feeling frustrated, she wants to bang her head on the wall for being too careless, but at the same time, she brings her hand on top of her abdomen, there’s no baby bump yet but she can already feel the life forming inside of her. Her child, her and Francis’ child, it’s just too bad they’re no longer together, in another life, if her pregnancy happened a lot later, she would have been a thousand times happier, of course, she’s happy now but also equally terrified, she doesn’t even know how to live on her own yet, much more, raise her own child.

“will you tell him?” Kenna asked, wanting so hard to help her friend but has no idea how

“I basically told him to get out of my life, Kenna. And even if I do tell him… he—he cheated on me, remember? He has a girlfriend back there in London, I don’t want him to go back to me just because he feels guilty that he got me pregnant” Mary said with sadness in her eyes, tears already making her visions blur

“so you won’t tell him? Ever?”

“I don’t know” Mary answered, because she truly doesn’t know what to do at this point.

“but this explains everything, you know, you being pregnant and all. Your mood swings, your very sensitive sense of smell, you even get nauseous all the time, and I’m actually quite surprised that you’re not throwing up—“ Kenna said and as if on cue Mary quickly got up from her bed and ran toward the bathroom

“I think I’m gonna be si—“ Mary said as she runs hurriedly, Kenna can hear her throwing up from where she’s sitting

“ugh fuck” Mary groans as she quickly ties her hair in a ponytail

“do you want me to hold your hair back for you?” Kenna shouted from the other side of the room

“No thanks, I’m pregnant, not helpless” Mary muttered before feeling another urge to throw up, this will take a lot of getting used to, Mary says to herself.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“okay that’s enough” Bash said as he tries to get the bottle of beer off of Francis’ hand but fails miserably

“leave me alone” Francis said as he tries to protect the bottle in his hands like a child protecting his candy

“oh wait.., that’s funny. Mary told me those exact same words at the club. Ha! I flew all the way from London only to hear those words… Seriously, I only left her for 2 months! 2 fucking months, Bash! How can she change so quickly” Francis said almost bitterly

“I didn’t even get an explanation. I have so many questions, you know? But she just left me there, standing like an idiot, in the middle of the crowd” Francis continues to rant as he drinks his beer

“this beer tastes awful. Everything tastes awful” 

“you should get some sleep, Francis. You’ve had enough” Bash said as he tries to help Francis stand from the couch

“oh you are so right, brother. I’ve really had enough, I’ve had far too much and I am so done with this, with everything, really. If she doesn’t want anything to do with me… then, I don’t want anything to do with her either, problem solved.” Francis said rather triumphantly, but he didn’t feel any better, maybe he just needs to convince himself more. Bash on the other hand, was relieved when Francis stopped babbling for a whole minute, but was slightly annoyed when he started talking again after a minutes of silence, he really can’t wait for his brother to be sober.

“but here’s what I don’t understand…”

“oh here he goes again” Bash said to himself, clearly exhausted from his brother’s musings, Francis, on the other hand, having no care about the world, continues to babble like a toddler

“when I saw her, she seemed really really mad at me and here’s the exciting part; I don’t even know why she’s mad! And that’s what made me mad and then—“

“okay, okay… why don’t you narrate what happened to the bar—which I have heard a hundred times already, might I add—tomorrow when you’re sober and not completely wasted, yeah? Come on up, let’s get you to bed”

“No! I’m not sleeping with you, I have a girlfriend… oh wait, ex-girlfriend actually—but it doesn’t matter, I still love her. So stop seducing me, okay?” Francis said, not recognizing his own brother, with his eyes almost closed

“whoa, whoa stop right there—“ Bash said but stopped because he’s now choking on laughter

“I should have recorded that, would have been very useful, for blackmailing purposes of course” Bash said as he laughs at his brother

“hey… hey! Don’t you sleep just yet, sleep upstairs, in your bedroom! Francis? Francis! I’m not gonna carry you, no sir.” Bash said as he slaps Francis on the cheeks. Repeatedly. 

“wake up or I swear to God, I’m gonna pull out your golden little curls” Bash said almost threateningly 

“shhh you’re too loud” Francis said, trying to quiet down his noisy big brother

“what am I going to do with you” Bash sighs as he watches his brother sleep like a baby and judging by the amount of alcohol he drunk, he’s not waking up anytime soon.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“I still don’t get it though, do you know why they broke up? They seemed fine in the last few months, my brother seemed really excited to see Mary—“ Bash said to Kenna, seeming really confused about the whole situation

“he hasn’t told you?” Kenna asked, quite surprised

“he hasn’t told me what?” 

“Francis cheated on Mary, he even asked the girl to move in with him” Kenna said, her voice angry

“what? No, he wouldn’t do that… he would never—“

“well, he did. Mary went to London the week after finals and saw the girl herself, in Francis’ flat, wearing Francis’ clothes.” Kenna informed Bash, still quite annoyed by the fact that she’s the one telling this to Bash instead of Francis 

“Kenna, how long have you known Francis? A few months? Maybe almost a year? Well, I’ve known him all my life, and he never cheated on anyone. Ever.”

“Well I guess he has changed, you don’t know him that well after all” Kenna said almost bitterly

“Kenna, you don’t understand. I know Francis and I know he loves Mary and only Mary, there’s no one else in his life”

“well maybe, none that you know of, but there is definitely someone. How else can you explain the girl in his flat?”

“When was she there exactly? Can you recall?”Bash asked, trying desperately to figure things out

“what does it matter? It wouldn’t change the fact that he cheated on her”

“Please Kenna, just answer the question” Bash pleaded

“I think it was on the third week of June? Yeah, Mary went there almost two weeks ago”

“I visited Francis on the third week of June as well” Bash said still confused

“What? Why didn’t I know about this?” Kenna answered equally confused

“Francis asked for my help, he wanted to surprise Mary when he finally goes back here so he asked me to help him choose a gift for her”

“you went all the way to London to go shopping with your brother?” Kenna said, not buying Bash’s story

“He paid for the whole thing, I couldn’t say no. And it’s not just any gift, you know. Francis wanted it to be special that’s why he needed my expert skills” Bash said rather proudly

“which is what exactly?” Kenna said almost mockingly

“never mind, but the point is, Francis wasn’t in his flat the day Mary went there, I should know because I was in a hotel room  
with him for the whole week”

“so?” Kenna said, still missing the point

“the whole thing must have been a setup, someone found out that Mary’s going to visit Francis that week and made sure she’ll never visit him ever again”

“you mean to tell me; someone paid a girl to pretend to be Francis’ fake girlfriend and make Francis look like a cheating bastard?”

“exactly” Bash answered

“but who would even—“

“Catherine” Bash answered, seeming quite sure that no one else will put all these effort only to see Francis and Mary break up

“Francis’ mom?” Kenna asked, everything is making sense now, she thought to herself.

“she never approved their relationship and when the opportunity came, she grabbed it as quick as she can” Bash said letting out a heavy sigh

“does she have any idea what she is doing to her son? To my friend?”

“She’s Catherine de Medici, you’ll be surprised how far she’ll go in order to achieve what she want”

“Bash, this changes everything… Mary needs to know about this”

“yes, I agree. She needs to know that Francis didn’t really cheat on her, but I’m afraid this wouldn’t change much.” Bash said, sadness eminent on his voice

“What do you mean?” Kenna asked, getting confused again

“The things Mary said at the club… and with Louis being there… it was too much for Francis, you know. Yes, Mary was hurt but it wasn’t Francis who hurt her, it was the sick plan of Catherine, Francis didn’t even know that Mary was angry at him until he saw her at the party… Francis was hurt by Mary, directly, her own words left scars in his heart, her own actions left him wounded.”

“but she only said that because she thought—“

“I know what you’re trying to say Kenna, I really do. But Francis is so big on trust, he’s greatly hurt whenever someone doesn’t trust him, especially if that someone is the girl he loves the most. The fact that Mary implied that he cheated on her hurt, it hurt a lot.”

“so what do we do now?” Kenna asked, feeling helpless

“we wait… just until things cool down between them, right now their wounds are too fresh and forcing them to reconcile might do the opposite… they must find their way back to each other on their own, that’s the only way.”

“okay… but first they need to know the truth, I’ll tell Mary that it was all Catherine’s fault and you’ll tell Francis as well, okay?”

“Okay, but like I said, I don’t think it would change much”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try” Kenna said after few minutes of silence, their problems aren’t all solved but the future shows a promise that everything might be slightly better soon and that alone is enough.

 

~o~o~o~

 

*3 days later*

Francis was at the beach house, reading a book on their porch facing the beach, when suddenly he was hit by a ball in the head.

“Ow!” Francis said as he rubs the part where the ball hit, messing up his already unruly curls.

“Oh my God, I am so so sorry!” A redhead girl approached him and from the looks of it, she has been playing beach volleyball with her friends near Francis’ porch. The girl was even more shocked when she approaches Francis as she nearly froze in front of him and gasps rather soundly.

“you’re Francis, right? Francis Valois?” the girl said getting a bit shy in front of an utterly confused Francis

“yeah, I suppose I am?” Francis said, pretending that his head doesn’t hurt, he doesn’t need to make the poor girl in front of him feel even guiltier or more embarrassed

“you probably don’t remember me but we had Sociology class together” the girl informed him, trying to have a normal (and not awkward) conversation with him

“oh” was all that Francis was able to say, now he’s the one embarrassed for not recognizing her face, much more her name.

“I’m Ellie by the way, we never really talked in class but I have always wanted to talk to you—Oh my God, I didn’t just say that out loud… fuck—I mean shit, sorry—ugh. I’m so bad at this” the girl said, she throws him an equally nervous and embarrassed smile

“it’s okay, I should be the one saying sorry. I’m really sorry I didn’t remember your name, I feel such a jerk” Francis said, lowering his head slowly

“no, no please don’t… feel such a jerk I mean, because you’re not, you’re actually really nice… and cute—oh my God I’m so sorry, my mouth does this thing, you know. It has a mind of its own, unfortunately… yeah I’ll probably just get my ball, my  
friends are waiting for me” Ellie said as she glances back and saw that her friends have managed to get another ball and have already started playing… without her.

“why don’t we just forget this really embarrassing and unfortunate experience, yeah? Just pretend you don’t know my name… I’ll probably leave now—yeah I’ll just go” Ellie said as she awkwardly walks backward and away from Francis, she smiled one last time to Francis and ran as fast as she could, truly hoping that she won’t stumble or fall

“hey, Ellie!” Francis shouts after her, Ellie turns her head as quick as lightning

“you forgot your ball!” Francis said while throwing the ball toward Ellie, she catches it as if her life depended on it and quickly gave Francis the sweetest smile, she walked away clutching the ball closely to her body. 

Unbeknownst to Francis and Ellie, Mary was just standing there the whole time, she just doesn’t have the courage to approach Francis…yet.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“Francis…” said a familiar voice that he will be able to recognize anywhere. Francis looked up and saw Mary, staring at him with those beautiful brown eyes, her gaze full of sadness and regret.

“Mary” Francis replied, he immediately put down the book that he is reading and stood up, trying to look decent in front of her.

“What are you doing here?” Francis asked, genuinely curious 

“I came here to apologize… Kenna told me everything, your mother’s plan—I”

“Yes, Bash told me as well, I’ve spoken to my mother, she’ll no longer bother us, I guess she already got what she wanted”

“Francis… I can’t even begin to imagine the pain you felt the night… Francis, I am so sorry, I didn’t mean anything I said, I—“

“then why did you say it, Mary? you could have just asked me, you know. But you didn’t even give me time to explain or even some time to understand why you were so mad”

“I’m sorry, I let my emotions—my anger, my jealousy cloud over my judgment… but if you were in my place… going to London,  
finding another woman inside your flat—“

“If I were in your place, I could have just asked you, Mary. Don’t you trust me at all? Did you really think that I could do that to you?! How about you put yourself in my place… I wanted to surprise you and make you happy to make up for the months that we’re not together, but instead when I got here, you suddenly decided to break up with me, claiming that you don’t love me and making me promise to not bother you again. Tell me Mary, which side hurt more?”

Mary just stared at him, tears now falling from her eyes, occasionally wiping the tears by her hands as she sobs quietly, she stands there looking utterly hurt and also ashamed of what she’s done, she realized she has been the weak one, falling for Catherine’s trap so easily, she’s the one that gave up first and now she’s facing all the consequences.

“I know—I know I’ve hurt you, and even if I apologize a thousand times, it won’t make the pain go away… but if there’s anything I can do—anything at all to make up for the things I’ve said and done, I’ll do it, I’ll do anything… just—please Francis, I can’t do this without you” Mary said in between sobs, she’s a wreck, with her emotions surging wildly inside her and her hormones going crazy, she’s not sure how much longer she can handle this whole situation.

“I’m sorry Mary, I need time… time to sort things out, time to heal… it’s just—too soon. I need to think this through, I know we’ve been through so much together, but by now I think we both realized that love is simply not enough… we need to trust each other, always, because without trust we’re nothing.” Francis said, sadness also visible in his eyes and it’s quite obvious that it was hard for him to say those words, but if it’s what’s needed, then he has no other choice but to say them.

“it’s okay, I understand.” Mary said, wiping the tears from her eyes as she forces a smile. Francis returned her smile with equal amount of sadness and regret. They both wish they could fix this but they both know they can’t; only time can.

“I guess I’ll go now” Mary said while slowly walking towards the door, clutching her stomach

“I’m going to leave for London, tomorrow” Francis informed her, but instantly regret it when he saw the look on her face, full of hopelessness and dread, it’s as if he hurt her a thousand times over. But Mary kept a straight face and managed to reply

“will you keep in touch?” she said while still pretending to be unaffected by the news

“we both need space, Mary” Francis answered her sadly

“oh… I guess I’ll just… see you when you get back?” Mary replied, again trying to sound calm but her eyes betray her as it lets out a single hot tear

“yeah… hopefully” Francis replied, they’re both hurting but both can do nothing about it, what cruel fate is it to have, when you love someone but you can’t be with them, even though there’s nothing that is keeping you apart.

Mary walks slowly as she lets her legs carry her to the car, her emotions are already crumbling down and she doesn’t need her body to give up on her as well. She caresses her abdomen and talked to the growing babe inside her.

“We’ll get through this, darling. I promise you, we will.” Mary said as she drives the car away from the love of her life, from the father of her unborn child.

 

~o~o~o~

 

*2 weeks later*

Mary’s P.O.V.

She didn’t expect that it would rain hard that day, it’s summer time after all, the weather should be hot and humid and the road should be dry not wet and slippery, she has been driving for hours and is now clearly exhausted, she’s supposed to go to this on-the-spot painting contest thing but because of the bad weather, she’s now running late. She hates driving alone especially when the road is not the familiar to her, Kenna has this summer job and her boss is being an ass, she wasn’t able to accompany Mary for she was given tons of paperwork to finish before the weekend. 

Mary turned the radio up as the rain poured even louder, blurring her windshield and making the road even more slippery , there was a sharp curve ahead but she wasn’t able to slowdown before she made the turn… she lost control of the car and drove off the road, thankfully there weren’t any cliffs near the area, her car, however, made a full stop as it hit a tree, hard. 

 

~o~o~o~

 

Her neck hurts from the impact, she found it hard to open her eyes probably because she was afraid of what she’s going to see, she can hardly move her legs, much more get out of her car. Rain is still pouring hard as the water enters her car from her broken windshield, she feel utterly terrified and helpless, not just for herself but for her baby as well. She began looking for her phone, desperate to call for help. Her hands shake as she dials the number, after few long seconds, someone finally answered.

“Please—please help me” she said desperately, her voice shaking.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“stay with me, darling. Stay with me” said a strong feminine voice she didn’t recognize, there were suddenly too many sounds around her, too many people talking, she tried to open her eyes and make up of her surroundings but her vision was still a blur and it feels like her head is spinning, there were police cars and an ambulance around the area, and from the looks of it, they’re still in the place where the accident happened, in front of her is a medic trying to tend to her wounds, she’s in her late 40s and her gloved hands were covered by blood, her blood. She tried to get her attention but the woman is a little occupied at the moment, so she brings her shaking hands and with her last remaining strength, she gripped her arm and it most definitely got the woman’s attention.

“Please—save my baby. Please” She said her voice begging, almost inaudible. She’s pleading for her life, hers and her baby’s life. She prays that maybe, just maybe, by some miracle, they will both survive this.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“Pick up. Please pick up.” Kenna said while nervously waiting for Francis to pick up the phone, they’re on their way to the hospital where Mary was admitted, Bash was driving the car equally worried while Kenna’s on the passenger seat, trying desperately to calm down. She knows that Francis asked Mary for some space but she also knows that even though they’re not together anymore, Francis still cares about Mary, not to mention she also worries that the baby—which Francis didn’t even know existed—might cease existing at any moment. Francis finally picked up after the third ring, she forgot he’s few hours ahead and it’s probably early morning where he is now, damn time zones. 

“Hello, Kenna?” Francis said on the other side of the line, his voice thick with sleep but also filled with worry

“Did something happen? Why are you calling me at this hour?” Francis added, his voice urgent

“It’s Mary, she got into a car accident. She’s hurt Francis.” 

“What? How is she now? How bad is it?” Francis said, his words barely understandable, his breath quickened. Kenna can hear that he’s moving around his flat, fast.

“I don’t know yet, we’re still on our way there… Francis, I don’t mean to worry you but… will you please come? I know you guys are still on rough terms but she needs you h—“

“I’ll catch the next plane, just text me which hospital is it, okay?” Francis said, his voice still hurried, he seemed in panic.

“okay, bye” Kenna said and hung up the phone

“he’s on his way” She said to Bash, it’s only now she realize that her hands are shaking

“it’s gonna be alright, Kenna. She’s gonna be alright.” Bash said as he squeezed Kenna’s hand, transferring his warmth to her.

“I hope so” Kenna said, squeezing his hand back, she wants to believe that Mary’s alright but she doesn’t know that for sure. It’s still a two hour drive to the hospital and she doesn’t know if she can last that long, with her heart beating mercilessly fast in her chest.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“Mary. Mary Stuart” Francis said breathlessly to the nurse in the hospital, he just arrived and he went straight to the hospital, with a phone in his hand, unruly curls, confused and worried eyes, he looks like a lost boy, helpless and scared.

“room 412” The nurse said after looking at the computer screen

“Thank you” Francis politely said before rushing to the elevator, his golden curls almost bouncing with every step. His hands are cold and his heart is pounding in his chest, he’s scared of what he might see, he can’t take it to see Mary hurt, and what’s worse is that he wasn’t there when she needed him most, she’s hurt and he came late, he should have been there when it happened, he should have been the one who helped her first.

He finally reached the room where Mary is, he turned the door knob slowly not knowing what he might see. And then he found her there, on the bed, lying still with her eyes closed. There was a wound on her forehead, a bruise on her right arm, and her left arm is covered mostly by bandages, she was already sleeping but she seemed in pain. Francis walked slowly toward her bed, drinking the sight of her, he regrets now why he returned to London earlier than planned, if he was there when the accident happened, he would have arrived earlier. 

He reached for Mary’s hand and squeezed it gently, as if letting her know that he’s finally here, and he’s not going anytime soon. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, careful not to wake her. He positioned a chair next to her bedside and he sat there without making a sound. The room is quiet and the only sound you’ll hear is the AC that’s making the room temperature colder than necessary. Francis adjusted Mary’s blankets and placed it right above her chest; he took her hand in his and silently prayed that for her to be alright. Looking at her like this made him wish that he could take all her pain away, if given the chance, he would gladly suffer in her place. He looked around the room and saw that there was already a stack of food on the table and a huge bag that’s most definitely Bash’s. Kenna and Bash must have arrived already but now they’re nowhere to be found.

Francis was sitting closely beside Mary’s bed when he heard someone enter. The doctor was carrying a folder of some sort and he immediately smiled when he saw Francis.

“it’s a good thing you’re here, I’m guessing you’re her—?

“friend… I’m her friend.” Francis replied to the doctor, he looked at Mary worriedly.

“Is she going to be alright?” he added

“Yes, she only attained minor injuries from the accident and her wounds are not that grave. She’s taking medications but nothing harmful for the baby—“

“baby?” Francis said looking confused.

“oh you’re friend here is 11 weeks pregnant, the first trimester is vital for the baby’s development and so far she’s doing just   
fine, the baby’s alright and Mary will recover soon.” The doctor said with a reassuring smile

“oh” was all that Francis was able to say, he’s still trying to let the information he just heard sink in. It doesn’t feel real, Mary’s pregnant? He doesn’t quiet comprehend any of that at the moment.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m needed somewhere else. You can approach any of the nurses if you need help…”  
“Thank you, doctor” Francis politely said but his mind is still processing, he stares at Mary confusingly and squeezed her hand a   
little tighter. We’re going to have a baby he thought to himself, and then suddenly, amidst all the things that happened and are still happening, he found himself smiling.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“Francis…” Mary said as she gently touched his curls, unintentionally waking him. He stirred for a moment, and looked at Mary, his eyes still sleepy but he managed to throw her a radiant smile.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you I—I can’t believe you’re really here, how—“

“Kenna called me, I came as soon as possible. Are you feeling alright?”

“better” Mary said, throwing him a smile, she realized he’s holding her hand and it made her feel safe and warm. 

“I talked to the doctor… he said—he said that the baby’s alright…” as Francis was saying this, he can also here Mary’s audible gasp from where he’s sitting

“Mary, why didn’t you tell me?” Francis said, his tone gentle 

“I—I didn’t know how… or when. I planned on telling you when I went to your beach house two weeks ago—I went there to apologize and to let you know about our baby but—you said you needed space and you didn’t want to keep in touch I—I figured you didn’t want anything to do with me anymore and—“

“shhh Mary, that’s not true” Francis quickly said as he hears her voice breaking, he placed a gentle kiss on her temple and Mary continued talking

“I didn’t want to hide it from you, you know? But—seeing you there, with sadness and regret in your eyes… I thought that if told you about our baby in that very moment… you will just be forced to take me back, even though you didn’t want to…I know you’d feel guilty about the baby and I didn’t want that to be the only reason for us to get back together… you needed some space and that’s what I gave you”

“No, Mary, I’m so sorry. I was wrong, utterly wrong. I needed you, I need you still. These past few weeks have been hell for me, I missed you so much I thought I’ll go mad. I regret letting you go, and you don’t know how much I replayed that moment in my head and wish that I could go back and change it. I wish I have said ‘I love you’ despite everything… because I do—I do love you Mary, more than anything” Francis said with tears already wetting his ocean blue eyes, his look is full of love and regret, regret that he has let her go and hurt her continually, repeatedly.

“and the baby? You’re not upset that I’m pregnant?” Mary said her voice both questioning and afraid

“upset? Mary you’ve made me the happiest man in the world! Since we got together I have had this…vision inside my head, I dreamt that we will get married, and have children… and grow old together—that’s what I wanted the most, and I want is still. I love you Mary, I want a future, a family with you… and I couldn’t be more thankful that you’re pregnant. And if it isn’t obvious yet, I’m not upset. I am beyond happy.” Francis said before leaning down and kissing Mary passionately, he can feel her smiling as they kiss, her hands traveling to the back of his head, pulling him closer, they stayed like that for a few more moments before pulling apart.

“I love you” Mary said softly, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, but they’re not tears of sadness, she’s almost ecstatic that Francis is here by her side and she’s also beyond delighted that he not only knows that she’s pregnant, he also accepts the baby with all his heart.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“no, I think I’ve had enough” Mary said while smiling intently at Francis, she refused to open her mouth when Francis tried to spoon-feed her the soup brought in her room.

“you’ve had not nearly enough, come on just one more” Francis said, convincing Mary to eat

“Francis, I love you but I’m not hungry anymore, really.” Mary said her voice amused.  
“maybe you aren’t but I’m pretty sure our baby is” Francis said, not ready to give up just yet, Mary, not being able to resist   
Francis’ pleading eyes, finally gave in and she has to admit, hearing him say ‘our baby’ made her feel like she’s going to melt with happiness.

“have you thought of any names yet?” Francis said after putting down the bowl of soup in the table, his voice clearly excited and calm at the same time

“not yet… though these past few weeks I couldn’t help wondering what our baby would look like—will he have your curls, your eyes, or will he be a blend of us both.” Mary said while gently caressing her abdomen, she knows she will start to show soon and she couldn’t be more excited about it, it’s a clear proof of the life they made together, the fruit of their love for each other.

“he?” Francis said smiling while also touching Mary’s abdomen

“I don’t know yet but I have a feeling we’re going to have a boy” 

“what if we have a girl?” Francis asked while rubbing Mary’s stomach gently

“then I will love her just the same” Mary replied and caressed his cheek, she missed him so much, being able to be near to him, and touch him feels surreal. Francis reached for her and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, a gesture he has been doing since he arrived at the hospital, Mary thinks it’s utterly sweet and satisfying.

“I should probably rest now, I still feel so tired after hours of driving and not to mention crashing on that tree, poor thing didn’t see it coming” Mary said jokingly, Francis let out a small laugh, he’s just glad that both Mary and their baby is alright.

“where were you going anyway? Why were you driving for hours?”

“oh I decided to join this contest, it was a five-hour drive but they’ve offered a decent prize for the winner so I thought it would   
be worth the try… It was an on-the-spot painting thing, I used to join those kinds of contests when I was younger and I figured I could use the money for our baby, you know—since I don’t have a job yet and—“

“I’m so sorry, Mary—you’ve worried far too much about our baby and you’ve faced those all alone, but that’s over now. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I started helping with my mother’s business in London and I’ve saved a decent amount of money… it’s enough to buy the things we’ll need for our baby and my flat in London has enough space for the—“

“wait, we’re going to London?”

“yeah… don’t you want to? I mean if you want to stay here—“

“no, I think it’s perfect… but what about your mother? I don’t think she’ll approve.”

“the flat is mine, she won’t have any say about it whatsoever. Besides, I don’t want to be parted from you or our baby ever again, either we both stay here or we’ll go to London, it’s your choice.”

“I’ll go wherever you’ll go… but I think you’re right, I decided to take a one year leave at the uni, or maybe more if needed… you don’t have to though, I mean I’m the one with a growing belly, I think you should continue your studies…”

“if that’s what you want… though I’m not that comfortably leaving you there alone… what if you need something, or you get bored or you start to have those crazy cravings… I want to be there with you every step of the way, you know. I wasn’t with you during your first months of pregnancy, I don’t want you to face the remaining six months all alone.”

“I’m going to be fine, and I’m not alone, silly. You go to the uni during the day and you’ll be with me at night. Trust me, I’ll   
manage.”

“But Mary—“

“Francis, you’ve done more than enough, I don’t want to trouble you some more”

“you’re not troubling me in anyway, darling. I’m doing this because I love you… I’ll do anything for you”

“by the way, have you told your mom yet?” Francis said suddenly remembering the people they have to tell about Mary’s pregnancy

“no, and I’m really worried of how she’ll react—“ 

“don’t worry, we’ll tell her together… but right now, you need to rest” Francis said while rubbing his thumb on her temple. They heard the door open and saw Bash and Kenna enter the room.

“it took you forever to get here” Francis teased the two

“excuse you, we arrived here first. Bash and I just thought that you both need some time alone” Kenna replied putting her bag on the chair

“how are you feeling, Mary? Did Francis give you a hard time?” Kenna asked Mary while sitting at the side of her bed

“well, he tried to drown me with that awful soup, it was dreadful.” Mary said jokingly, though her voice sounded a bit tired, both Kenna and Francis laughed.

“so are you guys… together again?” Bash teasingly

“yeah I guess you could say that… by the way, did you know you’re going to be an uncle?” Francis asked his brother, delightfully informing him.

“what?! Is Claude pregnant? Or is it Elizabeth? … or—oh my God did Charles got someone pregnant??”

“No, you silly, Mary’s pregnant. We’re going to have a child together” Francis said with a glowing beam, his voice proud.

“wow congratulations… I can’t believe you beat me to it, you’re going to have a child before I do—no offense Kenna” 

“stop it Bash!” Kenna said while hitting Bash on the shoulder, her cheeks burning.

“but seriously, I’m so happy for the both of you… I just can’t believe this—any of this, actually. One minute you’re not talking to each other and the next, you’re expecting a child?? Boy, that escalated quickly” Bash said, his hand tapping Francis’ shoulder, it’s his own way of congratulating his little brother.

Mary just laughed lightly at Bash’s comment, she has to admit, she can’t believe anything that happened either, she felt like her world was going to crumble down on her a few weeks ago but now she feels utterly ecstatic. But she’s kind of afraid of what might happen, the kind of happiness she feels now, she knows that it won’t last forever, and it’s only a matter time before life tests her again, but right at that very moment, when she looks at Francis, Bash, and Kenna while feeling the growing baby inside her, she’s almost sure that with them, she’ll get through anything.


	14. Chapter 14

“Francis”

“Francis” Mary said, her voice still thick with sleep

“hmm?” Francis answered, letting out a muffled sound but barely moving. His face buried in the pillow

“you’re crushing me”

“Francis seriously, I can’t breathe” Mary said while trying to escape from Francis’ embrace, their limbs got entangled throughout the night, Francis’ body almost atop her, putting them in an awkward sleeping position 

“…and I’m pretty sure you’re squashing the baby too” Mary jokingly said but it made Francis return to his side of the bed just as quickly

“oh god, sorry” Francis muttered, suddenly realizing what Mary just said, his hands instinctively reaching for Mary’s belly and caressing it lovingly

“you alright in there?” he said to their baby, making Mary let out a muffled giggle. She’s just 14 weeks pregnant but a small baby bump is already trying to make itself visible on Mary’s lower abdomen. It’s been almost 3 weeks since the accident and her bruises have completely healed, it’s almost as if they weren’t there in the first place.

“he’s alright, don’t worry I was just joking” Mary said as she lovingly caressed Francis’ cheeks

“you scared me” Francis said as he tries to scoot closer again to Mary, they now lie face to face, sharing one pillow, their foreheads nearly touching

“can you feel her move yet?” Francis said, not removing his hand on Mary’s belly, as if letting the babe know his presence

“not yet but—why do you always insist that our baby’s a girl?” Mary said, smiling

“because you always refer to him as a boy, it only seems fair…. Also, I really do think that we’re having a girl”

“and if we have a boy?”

“then it’ll mean I’m wrong but we’ll have a cute bouncing baby boy, and I’ll be still delighted about it because he’s ours… ours Mary, a life we created together” Francis said, his eyes seem to glow when he talks about the baby—their baby—it’s as if he’s the proudest father in the world

“yeah a life we unknowingly created together” Mary pointed out while giggling but agreeing with Francis all the same

“hey our baby might be unplanned but it’s not unwanted, right?” Francis said as he returns her loving touches and tucked a few strands of hair behind Mary’s ear

“of course, our baby is the greatest gift we could ever receive, and I don’t regret any second of it”

“well then I guess, since we’re having a baby and all… we’re gonna be together for the rest our lives, right? Just you and me against the world” Francis said with a serious tone

“well… that is, if you want to—I mean, do you? Do you want this? I know we don’t have any choice anyway but—“

“actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you this question…. And I uh—I—wow I actually thought it’s going to be easy but—uh… you know what? I’m just gonna say it, I’m just gonna  
—“Francis stuttered as he struggles to get his words out

“Francis?”

“yeah?”

“just say it”

“oh yeah. Here it goes—uhm, I’m just gonna have to say sorry in advance… because you probably didn’t dream of it happening this way but—I mean I know for a fact that girls have dreamt of this since they were young—like Claude and Elizabeth for example—“

“Francis, what are you trying to say?”

“will you be my wife?” Francis said suddenly, almost stumbling with words, he can’t quite read Mary’s reaction and that made him even more nervous than he already is

(…)

(…)

(…)

A few seconds more and Mary just looked at Francis with confusion and maybe shock, the words of Francis didn’t seem to register in her head just yet

“I mean, I know I’ve done things that hurt you and we almost broke up too many times in the past and I can’t promise you that I won’t hurt you again even though I sure damn hope that I won’t… and…. And I—I actually don’t know what else to tell you to make you say yes but I can promise you that if you just give me a chance to be—better… because honestly Mary, I don’t know how to be better without you, I’ve already envisioned my life 50 or 60 years from now and you are always in it, in my dream, we were resting on our porch while we watch our grandchildren play from afar, and as I hold your hand close to mine, we look at each other and we’ll have a contented smile on our faces because—“ 

“what’s wrong, why are you crying?” Francis almost panicked as he sees hot tears falling from Mary’s eyes

“I love you… and I want you to know that I will be the luckiest girl in the world to have you as my husband… and I don’t ever want to have a future without you in it, so I guess I should be the one asking you that question… Francis Valois, love of my life and father of my child… will you do me the honor of being your wife?” Mary said as she smiles at Francis, both at them still lying on their bed, hands now tightly intertwined

“the honor is mine, Mary. Truly.” Francis leans in and gives Mary a long passionate kiss, it’s a kiss without any regret and it holds a promise of the future, a future they will spend together, and with the baby on the way, they’re both sure that things can’t get any better.

 

~o~o~o~

 

“careful, careful Mary. That’s still hot” Francis said as he tries to get from Mary the pot of fish stew that they prepared for their lunch. Both of their mothers are coming and they’re just both trying to make some food that would at least be edible enough for them to eat. Francis is meeting Marie de Guise for the first time and he’d be lying if he’d say that he’s not nervous, in fact, he is more than nervous… he is already freaking out, but of course, he won’t let Mary notice that.

“I can do it Francis, really” Mary insisted as she pours the remaining content of the pot to one of their decorated bowls

“I didn’t say that you couldn’t, darling. I just want you to be careful” Francis said as he leans down to Mary and places a soft kiss on her lips, his hands travel to her back and then to her belly, caressing it gently. Mary pulled him closer and touched the back of his head, his curls tickling her fingertips as she leans in for another kiss.

“If you keep this up, we’ll never get anything done” Mary said smiling, after they pull apart

“I’d like that” Francis said teasingly, he was about to kiss her again when they heard the doorbell ring

“I’ll get it” Mary offered as she walks away from Francis’ arms but she’s not even three steps away when she ran into him and gave him a peck on the lips.

“You’re gonna be alright” Mary said as she adjusts his tie and attempt to manage his unruly curls

“Love you” She finally said as she walks to the door, Francis smiling sweetly behind her. 

 

~o~o~o~

 

“so… why don’t we get down to business and discuss whatever it is that’s going on here, I have a meeting in 3 hours so let’s just finish this quickly” Catherine indifferently said after wiping her mouth clean. They have just finished eating their lunch and Catherine cannot stand anymore the awkward but at the same time tense atmosphere in the room.

“she’s right. I have to catch a plane and go back home as soon as possible, Mary. I’ll have to meet a client—“ Marie de Guise said but was interrupted by her daughter

“mother, this is important”

“what is it then? What is this thing so important that you had to summon two adults here, couldn’t you kids just handle this all by yourself?”

“I—“ Mary tried to say but was unable to finish, quite hurt and irritated by her mother’s words, Francis touched her hand and intertwine it with his, letting her know that they can do this together

“actually… Mary and I… have decided to get married” Francis said so calmly that you won’t even hear the nervousness in his voice

“what?!” both Marie and Catherine exclaimed

“have you lost your mind? You’re too young!” Marie de Guise, her eyes wide with disbelief

“and you’re both still incapable of having your own family! Are you even serious?” Catherine added

“we are serious mother, do you think we invited you here just to fool around? Mary and I have already decided about this, we only need your blessing” Francis said, quite appalled by the reaction of both adults

“excuse me young man but I’ve only met you now and you expect me to be okay that you’re taking my only daughter away from me? I don’t even know you! I don’t even know if you’re capable of providing for my daughter! How could I possibly agree to this marriage?” Marie De Guise demanded

“not that I want to, but my son can provide for your daughter and to many other mistresses if he’d like! Do you think our family—“ Catherine argued, clearly insulted but was cut off by Francis. Mary on the other hand, sits quietly clearly shocked and confused by the outrage currently happening in front of her

“mother please” Francis said, closing his eyes for a second while trying to be calm

“Marie, I know you’ve only met me now but I promise that I can and will provide for your daughter, I—“ Francis insisted on Mary’s mother

“even if you could provide for my daughter, why rush it? Why have a wedding now, if you truly love her, you’ll wait! God, she’s not even halfway through college, you haven’t finished your degree either, why marry now?!” Mary de Guise said almost angrily 

“because I love Francis and we want our promise to be official… and because I’m pregnant.” Mary said, finally finding her voice to speak

“you’re what?!” Marie and Catherine said at the same time

“I’m 14 weeks pregnant, I’m sure you haven’t noticed but there’s already a tiny bump below my stomach…I—I’m gonna be a mother, Francis a father and you’re going to be grandmothers… I just—I just hope that maybe for this baby, you’ll at least be happy for us.”

“I can’t believe this, you let me come here and then suddenly I’m going to know that you’re going to be a wife and a mother?” Marie de Guise said, still shocked. Catherine on the other hand, has a very different reaction.

“A baby? I’m going to be a grandmother?” Catherine said, joy clearly on her voice

“Yes, I believe so mother” Francis said, also smiling as the tenseness in the air slowly fades away

“oh this is wonderful!” Catherine said, bringing her hands together

“what happened to them being ‘incapable of having their own family’??” Marie said repeating Catherine’s previous words

“Oh Francis already has a job in our corporation, I’m sure if he’ll work hard, he’ll get to the top, eventually. Plus, I could always give them a little money to help for my grandchild’s needs, you know, a baby needs so much things these days… starting from their crib, stroller, not to mention the never ending diapers… oh and of course the milk—“

“so, you’re suddenly agreeing to their marriage?” Marie said with this belief. Mary and Francis watching Catherine intently, overjoyed but also shocked by her sudden approval.

“I think that’s the least we could do, like they said, they’ve already decided, I don’t think we could stop them from getting married… oh, but I have one condition first, Mary, Francis; promise me that you’ll regularly visit me in London and bring my grandchild of course” Catherine said, instantly smiling when she mentioned her grandchild, she can’t help but get excited by the idea of Francis becoming a fatherr his offspring inheriting his genes, that he then inherited from her.

“we promise” Mary and Francis said while smiling at Catherine, they’re both relieved that they got her to agree

“I guess that leaves me with no choice then, but I also have one condition… you’ll send me a picture of my grandchild every month, oh and I’ll visit you too when I can. Are you going to stay here and settle down?” Marie de Guise asked, also giving in to the idea of having an adorable grandchild that might carry Mary’s dark hair and beautiful brown eyes.

“no, we’re going to London next week, we plan on staying there just until I finish my studies, I have a work there too so I figured that it’ll be more convenient if Mary will just move in with me instead of staying here” Francis informed his soon to be mother-in-law

“would that be alright to you, Mary?” Marie de Guise inquired, truthfully concerned for her daughter

“yes mother, Francis and I already discussed this, I’ve been there before and I think I’ll love the place, Francis is going to be there too so I’ll be fine” Mary assured her mother

“oh this is so delightful! My house is just 30 minutes away from Francis’, I’ll visit you when I can” Catherine said genuinely happy that it all turned out fine

“so… when’s the big day?” Marie de Guise suddenly remembering having to plan for the upcoming wedding of her only daughter

“I’ve always thought that a wedding in spring would be nice” Mary said while holding Francis’ hand under the table, she smiled to her soon to be husband and at that very moment, she can almost see the future that awaits them, it appears so bright, it’s almost blinding. But with him by her side, what is there to be afraid of?


	15. Chapter 15

Mary has been lying on the couch for half an hour as she counts the movement of her baby in her belly. It won’t be long now before she delivers her child and she couldn’t be more excited and afraid at the same time. She watches the snow fall from the window as she feels another wriggling of her baby, a little while later she can see a protruding little foot that is making itself visible on the upper side of her belly. She gives it a gentle tap as it retreats but reappears seconds later, Mary lets out a giggle.

“hey there little darling” she said, amusement emanating from her voice

She’s 8 months pregnant now and her baby is still as lively as ever, she’s been told to expect less movement as the baby grows larger allowing minimal movements in her cramped uterus but it doesn’t stop her baby from making its presence known. A few months ago, they found out that they’re going to have a baby girl and her and Francis could not get any happier, not to mention the soon to be grandmothers; Marie de Guise and Catherine demanded that they be updated weekly of the baby’s development. Mary of course, could not help but oblige, she’s more than happy to tell them about the baby especially when they have been more than helpful to her, giving her advises here and there and Catherine visits twice or thrice a month to ensure her and the baby’s well-being. Francis on the other hand, has been so supportive and caring about her pregnancy. There’s been at least a dozen times when Francis went to the store—often during ungodly hours—just to satisfy Mary’s odd cravings, he has missed class just so he can accompany Mary for her appointments and check-ups with the doctor his mother has recommended. He’s always there when Mary needs him, even when she gets all grumpy and moody because of her pregnancy. And even when he’s tired from both work and school, he still manages to make time for her and their child, oftentimes, he massages Mary’s hands and feet when they swell, and cook for Mary when she can’t. Just like today, Francis has went to the mall to buy Christmas presents for their friends and family and though she insisted on coming with him, Francis suggested that it’d be better if she’ll stay at home especially now when she feels breathless more often than not.  
It’s been almost 4 hours when Francis left and Mary is already becoming impatient in their flat, she glances at the clock and opted to continue counting her baby’s movements instead, the babe has moved ten times for the past hour causing Mary to be wide awake even when the cold weather lulls her to sleep. Several minutes passed and she hears a car approaching their driveway, she gets up slowly as she rubs her belly to calm the babe.

“your dad’s here!” she said to her daughter, a smile showing on her face  
Mary can see Francis emerging from the car and carrying some things he brought from the store. He immediately beams as he sees Mary on the window, his smile never failing to make her heart skip a beat.

“got the presents!” Francis says as Mary opens the door for him

“took you long enough” Mary teased as she placed a soft kiss on his lips, she can feel him smile as she captured his lips on hers

“I hope you didn’t get too bored, there were so many people at the mall doing there last minute Christmas shopping, the cue was too long” Francis said, faking annoyance in his voice while still smiling at Mary

“sounds awful” Mary says almost sympathizing with her fiancé 

“hmmm” Francis hums as he places another tender kiss on Mary’s lips

“how about you, what did you do for the past hours?” Francis said after they pulled apart, he placed the gifts under the Christmas tree that is almost taller than him.

“well, the usual; I counted our baby’s movements” Mary said, sounding amused 

“and?” Francis said picking up the amusement in her voice

“I’m starting to suspect that she has four feet” 

Francis let out a laugh, Mary giggling with him

“I’m feeling kicks here and there, she even let me feel her tiny little foot earlier”

“yeah? I should have stayed home then” Francis said as he rubs Mary’s belly, hoping to feel the protruding foot himself.

“just one more month darling, and we’ll meet her together. Our very own Christmas present from God, just one month late” Mary beams as she rubs Francis cheeks to reassure him, he takes her hand in return and kisses her palm

“well, speaking of presents, I have another present in the car for you” Francis whispered sweetly, excitement clear in his tone  
Mary seemed slightly confused and amused at the same time, but the furrow on her brows disappeared when she saw who emerged from the backseat of Francis’ car.

“Kenna! Bash!” she said in delight

Kenna already started excitedly running toward the door, Bash trailing behind her

“Mary!” Kenna says as she opens her arms to hug her friend

“oh look at you!” Kenna says as she and Mary shares a hug, Mary’s belly making it hard for them to hug tightly

“May I?” Kenna asked Mary if she can hold her belly

“like you have to ask” Mary replied quite happily

“awww, did you think of a name yet?” Kenna says as she rubs Mary’s abdomen

“Anne” Mary and Francis said in unison, pride ringing in their voice

“oooh that’s such a sweet name! I can’t believe you’ll be giving birth soon, before you left, there was only a small baby bump and now—“

“I look huge, I know” Mary said, giggling

“and more beautiful than ever” Kenna said as she cups Mary’s cheeks, looking elated that she’s reunited with her friend after several months.

“You’ve grown more beautiful too, I suppose Bash isn’t giving you any problems?” Mary teased

“Me? Problems? It’s the other way around, actually” Bash joked as he emerged from view. He hugs Mary as he rubs her back.

“how’s my niece?” Bash asked looking at Mary then to Francis

“she’s been moving a lot for the past hour, I think she’s also excited that you guys are here” Mary said while grinning widely as she rubs her belly

“great! Because we’ll be here for a few weeks—oh Mary we have a lot to talk about!” Kenna said excitedly 

“I’m so glad you guys are here, you have no idea—“ 

“I’d thank Francis, to be honest, he has been planning this since November, he said it’d be merrier if we spend our Christmas here” Kenna replied

“oh thank you, darling” Mary muttered sweetly to Francis, squeezing his hand. Francis kissed her temple in return and held her body closer to his.

“I’m glad you’re happy” Francis said soothingly, reflecting her beam.

“I’m going to unload the bags” Bash exclaimed

“I’ll help you” Francis said in a split second

“Come on, Kenna. I’m gonna show you the guest room” Mary said, offering her hand to her friend

“Not before you show me the baby’s room” Kenna said, the two girls giggling as they go upstairs.

\-------------------------- 

 

“oh wow” Kenna gasped in amazement, she gently touched the delicate white curtains of the pink crib that almost seemed too crowded already with all the stuff toys that surround it, tiny stars and planets hang just above it that will most definitely keep the baby entertained

“this almost seem like a princess’ room” Kenna muttered, her eyes scanning the elegant pink wallpaper, the white carpet tickling her toes

“Francis doesn’t think twice when spending for our daughter’s needs to be honest, even Catherine helps with the money, she even insisted on buying the things herself“

“funny that not long ago, she insisted on separating you two, but now that she’s going to have a grandchild, she can’t seem to leave you alone” Kenna said in a light tone

“yes, I’m glad it all worked out quite well. How about you and Bash, how are the things between you two?” Mary said while rearranging the displaced teddy bear inside the crib

“other than the almost break up? I guess we’re doing fine”

“what almost break up? You haven’t told me about that”

“well, I didn’t want to stress you out with our problems you know, you being pregnant and all” Kenna joked, Mary rolled her eyes but reflected Kenna’s beam anyway

“but if you really want to know, it happened maybe two or three weeks after you left with Francis. Bash and I were at the beach house and them some guy—Antoine, flirted with me   
and it all went downhill from there.” 

“aaand?” Mary said, expecting to hear more of the story

“well, there’s not much to tell actually, I just thought that Antoine was being nice and friendly and then all of a sudden Bash acted all too jealous and possessive of me—I didn’t like it”

“he was like ‘trust me, Kenna. I know what that guy is up to, you might think that he’s just befriending you but I see the way he looks at you” Kenna imitated Bash’s voice and Mary muffles a giggle 

“he was sooo annoying, like, I’m not a child, I can take care of myself, and don’t I have the freedom to make friends on my own? Does having a boyfriend means that I should need his approval first before befriending another guy? It doesn’t make any sense” Kenna voice slightly raised in annoyance as she recalls the memory

“how did you guys make up?”

“well, it wasn’t a smooth process, I’ll tell you. We didn’t talk for a week because of that, but eventually we both give in after we realize that we’re more miserable apart than together” Kenna replied while Mary laughed at her situation

“don’t laugh! You and Francis were just like that and I remember you all moping and tears when—oh there’s actually a couple of times, let’s see; when you saw him kissing Olivia, when you thought he was cheating on you, when—“

“okay stop, stop. I get your point” Mary said, still laughing, Kenna joins her and they ended up both giggling.

“knock knock” Bash said after hearing their laughter, he and Francis just finished putting the bags in the guest room and he’s now free for some exploration, opening every door in sight. 

“Kenna you need to see the—wow this room is so…pink” Bash declared

“I know right! Even the crib’s pink, look at its tiny little pillows and blanket” Kenna said in amusement

“oh little brother, I so knew you liked pink” Bash teased Francis that is just trailing behind him

“it’s pink because our baby is a girl, Bash” Francis said, emphasizing the ‘girl’ part, he grinned at his older brother that he most definitely missed but would never actually admit it

“since when is pink exclusively for girls?” Kenna asked, also in a teasing tone

“I don’t know since—what colour would you have me paint it then?” Francis asked innocently, Mary joins his side, squeezing his hand while throwing him an amused smile

“hmmm green maybe? Like my eyes?” Bash suggested, he tries to look serious but failed miserably when Kenna muffles a laugh under her breath

“why are you laughing, green is beautiful right, Mary?” Bash said, looking at Kenna first then to Mary, hoping that she’ll back him up

“I actually like blue more, like Francis’ eyes” Mary said, suppressing a laugh while giving Francis a wink, which he returned by kissing her temple. Bash faked an offended look

“great, no one likes the colour of my eyes anymore. Maybe little Anne will agree, right Anne?” Bash said as he places a soft hand on top of Mary’s stomach. But was disappointed   
when he felt no movement.

“I think she just dozed off” Mary chuckled, her hands flying to her mouth, Kenna and Francis laughed with her, Bash joined in half a minute later, amused by the situation they are all in. It’s been several months since they were last like this and in a few weeks, there will be another babe joining them, and no one could ever wished for a happier moment.

\-------------------------- 

 

It’s the night before Christmas and Francis and Bash are in the kitchen preparing the dinner while Kenna’s in the living room with Mary, flipping channels on the telly until she finally settles for Adventure Time, she sits back and grins happily. Mary looks at her and she can’t help but smirk. 

“really?” Mary said in almost disbelief

“really” Kenna said and she almost looked offended that Mary questioned her decision

“Adventure Time’s the best, unless you want to watch the yoga video instead” Kenna said jokingly

“oh please no, I’m so tired of doing yoga for the past months, Francis insists that I do it and Catherine even made me go to Breastfeeding and Diaper Training workshops”

“she didn’t” Kenna laughs in disbelief 

“oh she did” Mary laughs as well

“that reminds me, is she coming tonight?”

“yes and my mom is too, Francis told me his younger siblings are coming as well”

“oh so that’s why it’s taking forever for them to cook the food, the pressure is on when the queen mother is here” Kenna joked, not really paying attention anymore to what she is   
watching. She instead, focused her eyes on Mary.

“yes, Catherine is a queen in the truest sense of the word, ordering people to do this and that, managing and organizing things”

“it’s no wonder you have Anne’s birth all planned out—when’s the date again?”

“the doctor said it’ll be on the third week of January, I just hope I won’t go on labour for a whole day—“

“don’t worry about it, it’ll be alright. I’ll make sure that Bash and I are here when you go on labour”

“thank you, that means a lot” Mary beamed as she squeezed Kenna’s hand

“don’t mention it” Kenna muttered, reflecting Mary’s smile

“how about the wedding, when is it happening?” Kenna added a few moments later

“we haven’t decided for a definite date yet but we think that it’ll be in either May or June—“

“wow that soon? How old will Anne be at that time, 4 or 5 months old? You have to let me hold her all throughout the wedding” Kenna said excitedly, her hands clasping each   
other

“well, I think that’s a great idea but I was actually wondering if you would—you know, be my maid of honour? Mary said half nervously and half excitedly as she raises her   
shoulders

“oh my God, Mary Stuart, are you serious?!” Kenna replied, almost squeaking

“of course! Who else would it be?” Mary said as if the answer is obvious already

“oh I’m so excited, your wedding is going to be awesome and splendidly beautiful, I can’t wait! You have to let me help you pick your gown and—oh the cake, the venue! Oh   
there’s so many things to plan”

“that’s why Francis does not want me to think about it yet, he does not want me to be stressed”

“oh you won’t be stressed Mary, this is going to be funnn!” Kenna squeals in excitement, squeezing her fingers they end up planning the wedding for the rest of the night while   
they wait for Marie, Catherine and Francis’ siblings to arrive. 

 

Meanwhile Francis and Bash might or might not be having trouble preparing dinner in the kitchen.

“you put too much sauce!” Bash spoke, scolding his brother

“no I didn’t, it’s just the right amount, see?” Francis insisted while scooping some of the sauce with a spoon

“It’s not the right amount! See? the other ingredients are practically swimming down there—“

“swimming? Of course they are gonna ‘swim’, it’s liquid, you idiot”

“well, it’s not supposed to look like that!”

“quit your babbling and taste it”

“how about no, that doesn’t even look edible to me”

“taste it”

“no” Bash shakes his head firmly like a child

“oh for God’s sakes Bash” Francis said in frustration

“alright alright, but if this tastes awful I’m gonna—I’m gonna make—oh” Bash said as he tasted the sauce

“so?”

“uhm it a—I guess it’ll do” Bash said under his breath

“what’s that I didn’t hear—“

“I said, it’s deliciousss!” Bash said almost hissing in defeat, he almost can’t believe that Francis can cook so well now

Francis laughs and then hears a beeping sound, he and Bash moves toward the oven

“I guess the cookies are done” Francis said in delight

“stop right there little mister, don’t touch my cookies—move away, move away, Bash coming through” Bash said as he slightly shoves Francis on the island counter

“oooh smells good” Bash murmured, Francis rolled his eyes and retreated on the stove, checking up on the soup he is making, he was interrupted by a loud shout coming from his   
older brother and saw him almost jumping as he shakes his hot fingers

“aw! That’s hot, hot—oh my God it hurts, aw—“ Bash said after putting the tray of cookies on the island counter, he actually forgot to put on gloves before grabbing the hot metal,   
thankfully none of the cookies fell on the floor as he went around the kitchen jumping because of the heated contact. Francis supresses a laugh under his breath but failed   
miserably at it. 

“what is it, what’s happened?” Kenna asked as she enters the kitchen, her voice filled with worry. Mary on the other hand is trailing behind her.

“your boyfriend here, grabbed the tray of cookies fresh from the oven without a glove” Francis said trying not to laugh

“oh Bash” Kenna said as she approached Bash, her fingers touching his palms delicately 

“come on, let’s get you the first aid kit” Kenna said as she manoeuvres Bash out of the kitchen but he didn’t move

“it’s nothing really, don’t worry about it” Bash reassures Kenna, he smiles at her trying to remain calm and pretend that his fingers aren’t actually throbbing from being slightly burnt

“you sure? That looks like it’s gonna leave a mark” Kenna said worryingly 

“absolutely sure, it’s nothing I can’t handle” Bash said acting tough, he hears Francis let out a scoff. Meanwhile, Mary reaches out for the cookies that Bash burnt his hands for

“well, this looks delicious” Mary said as she reaches for a warm Christmas tree-shaped cookie and puts it in her mouth

“hmmm really delicious—here try one” Mary said as she reaches for another—this time, a star-shaped cookie—and feed it to Francis. Bash looks at him intently, bracing himself for his brother’s reaction.

“it’s…crunchy and… hmmm it’s actually delicious” Francis agreed, grinning at Bash. Bash smiles widely, almost proud of himself, Kenna pats him on the back to congratulate him and reaches for a cookie for herself

“wow this is really something” Kenna said as she chews, her eyes wide with satisfaction and delight

“glad you all like it—but be sure you leave something for little Henry and Charles, those boys love cookies… especially the ones I made” Bash spoke proudly, Kenna smirks and checks out all the other dishes that Francis and Bash made, the smell making her hungry.   
Francis has just finished making milk for Mary when they heard the doorbell rang. He puts down the glass on the counter and kissed Mary sweetly on the forehead, she smiled at him in response.

“I’ll be right back” Francis muttered as he walks toward the front door

Kenna scoots closer to Mary as she attempts to dip her cookies on Mary’s milk but she failed miserably when Mary covers it with both of her hands

“oops, not so fast, this milk is for pregnant women only” Mary giggles

“come on just—one dip!” Kenna insisted as she giggles with Mary, her hands trying desperately to reach for the glass of milk, they were interrupted when Francis walk towards   
them, grinning widely.

“they’re here” Francis said, delight ringing from his voice.


End file.
